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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25574854">The Dragon of the South</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyDaydreamerX/pseuds/LazyDaydreamerX'>LazyDaydreamerX</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Family, Firebender Sokka (Avatar), Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Sokka (Avatar), Rape Aftermath, Slow Burn, Smart Sokka (Avatar), Wingman Iroh, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, and finally I can add, i guess this counts as, tagging is hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:01:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>148,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25574854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyDaydreamerX/pseuds/LazyDaydreamerX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka always felt like he was different from the other children in the village, and not only because all the other boys where at least 3 years older than him. But he never would have thought that he would be a firebender. That fact ... changes things. </p><p> </p><p>A (hopefully complete) rewrite of the canon story with Firebender!Sokka.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1149</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I really like the idea of Sokka being a Firebender, and there aren't that many fanfics about it, so I will try to at least contribute something. I hope you like it!</p><p>And english is my second language, so please have mercy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka always felt like he was different from the other children in the village, and not only because all the other boys were at least 3 years older than him.</p>
<p>He always had more problems with the cold than the others, getting ill often and trying to avoid the harsh winds at all cost. It caused him to spend far more time working around the fire within the village walls, and even if the older boys made fun of him because that would be ‘woman work’, the chief's son couldn't help but enjoy his time in the heat.</p>
<p>Sokka felt at ease around the gently flickering flame, basking the room in a gentle, orange light, not unlike the sunrise he watches every morning.</p>
<p>He has always been an early riser, the exact opposite to his sister, who seems to live more under the moon than under the sun.</p>
<p>He never thought anything about it. Why would he? He may be a bit weird, but Katara was even weirder. </p>
<p>Granted, she was a bender. Throwing around blocks of ice was normal business for her after all. And if he was honest with himself, he was jealous of that. </p>
<p>He always watched her when she trained her bending. Her movements gentle but precise. The water dancing through the air like snowflakes in the mild spring winds. Watching her like that, Sokka felt some kind of longing from deep within his body.</p>
<p>He knew he was a warrior (soon at least) and he should be proud of that, but he would never have a link to his craft like Katara. </p>
<p>He never told her that, of course. Or any other person for that matter.</p>
<p>Sometimes he managed to convince his sister to train with him. Many of the other men in the village seem to find that weird, but Sokka couldn't find anything wrong with it.</p>
<p>During his time with the women around the campfires, he has seen enough for him to know that even an old lady can be as fierce as any battle hardened warrior. </p>
<p>Even if he never managed to convince Katara to use a weapon in addition to her bending, he did manage to persuade her to wear some of the young warrior’s self crafted armor. </p>
<p>Seeing the deep blue armguards of hardened leather in use always fills him with happiness, and he can see that his sister likes them too, even if she doesn't admit it.</p>
<p>It was a simpler time, no conflict, and no dangerous secrets. Sokka often wishes it always stayed the same.</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p>His father was out hunting with the other men to fill their dwindling winter supplies, the harsh cold keeping Sokka inside the house. Not that he was that angry about being left out. He always felt weak and tired during the polar night. </p>
<p>The fire was too small for Sokkas taste, barely bright enough to see Gran-Gran and Mom tell Katara old waterbender stories on the other side of the room.</p>
<p>But with their resources dwindling, the young boy knew that this small flame had to be enough. </p>
<p>He gathered his cold hands in front of his face, trying to warm them with his breath.</p>
<p>He tried to keep it quiet, not wanting to make his family worry even more about him. He already wears dopple the cloth then every other person in the village after all.</p>
<p>As he kept a steady breath on his hands, the small flame in the center of the room flickering sleepily, he feels the heat grow in his stomach.</p>
<p>He lets it grow and flow through his body, enjoying the feeling, and soon it feels like he has his own little sun in his body.</p>
<p>It spread down his legs and up his chest, reaching further into his throat, till-</p>
<p>Foosh!</p>
<p>The small flame dies the moment it leaves his mouth, and for a moment he thinks this is all just a really weird dream till he looks up to see the shocked faces on the other side of the room. </p>
<p>The fright leaves his mother's face fast to give place to sad but determined eyes. Katara mostly looks confused now, and Gran-Gran gives Mom a knowing looks before taking the young girl out of the room.</p>
<p>Kya gently crosses the room and kneels down before her son, taking his trembling hands into hers.</p>
<p>“M-Mom? Why am I...?” His mother’s eyes are gentle as she takes her son into her lap. </p>
<p>“Years ago, before your birth, the raids were far more frequent.” She explained carefully. “The soldiers took advantage of our weakened state. And the crimes they commited varied greatly. I am lucky I got away with my life.” </p>
<p>She combs a hand through the young warrior’s hair, avoiding saying it out loud, knowing that the words would hurt Sokka. Kya sees that he understands what she means. He has always been an intelligent child.</p>
<p>“Does that mean I am a monster? Like them?” The tears roll down the young boy's face as he whispers out the words. “Oh god no!” Kya takes her son's head and buries it into her neck. “You are no monster. You are my son and a child of the Southern Water Tribe. And you are also the son of Hakoda. You share a bond far deeper than just blood.”</p>
<p>She takes her son’s face between her hands and fixed her eyes on the boy, her gaze stern but filled with love. “Your destiny isn’t determined by that half of your blood. You are your own person, and you should never forget that.”</p>
<p>“And if you are still worried about it, just know you still got my beautiful side to balance it out.” Kya gives her son a small wink, trying to lighten the mood.</p>
<p>“Does dad know?” The young warrior asks after a while. </p>
<p>His mother shakes her head. “I never told him, but not because I thought he wouldn't accept you as his son. I know he is a good man.” She wipes away a tear from the boy’s eye. “If he knew about it, he would have run off to fight against the Fire Nation on a moment's notice. He can be quite reckless at times.”</p>
<p>“But we will tell him. One day. And I can assure you, he will still love you just as fierce as before.”</p>
<p>________________________________</p>
<p>They never get to tell him. Soon after, the Southern Water Tribe is hit with another raid. His mother doesn't make it out, and his father swears revenge. He leaves Sokka and Katara to fend alone for the village. </p>
<p>He gives Sokka the leadership over the village, being the oldest man left. </p>
<p>He can't bring himself to tell his father about his bending. The new wounds on his soul already being so fresh. He doesn't want to hurt him more. </p>
<p>He feels the small flame in his stomach flicker with a storm of emotions as he sees the ships disappear into the horizon.</p>
<p>He grabs the hand of his sister, the sibling grounding each other with their touch.</p>
<p>After Sokka’s first bending, their relationship had been strained at first. But Katara knew her brother would never hurt her, or anyone she cared about. He might be a firebender, but he always was her brother first.</p>
<p>She was a bender herself after all. She knew bending doesn't make you who you are. And with the secret between them, their bond ends up growing more than ever before.</p>
<p>______________________</p>
<p>The role as a village chief is hard. Especially now that Sokka has to take care of the hunting too. </p>
<p>It doesn't take long for him realize he and Kartara won't be able to collect enough food for all of them to survive the polar night, and teaches the woman how to hunt in the best he can, even if he knew that the other men would protest this. </p>
<p>The idea works out better than he could have ever expected. Laia uses her spear as precise as a needle, and could give most men a run for their money. And the old Umi can throw a knife as well as she can carve with it.</p>
<p>At first Sokka thought that they would be angry that they now have to do additional work, but everyone seems to be happy to be able to help the tribe more than before.</p>
<p>Together they manage to gather a good amount of resources for the winter, more than most years even.</p>
<p>But the winter turns out to be more fierce than before. The harsh winds howl around the big hut they all gathered in to minimize the number of houses they have to heat. Even if Sokka could go out hunting, despite being weakened from the cold, the blizzards outside would be his end.</p>
<p>Still, the fuel will run out soon, and they will be forced to burn what little food they had left. </p>
<p>Katara sees the mixture between determination and resignation in her brother's eyes when he moves to the middle of the room. She almost tries to stop him, but she knows this is the only way.</p>
<p>The fire is starting to burn out and Laia about to put in the last of their fuel when Sokka ignites a small but steady flame in his palm.</p>
<p>A shock runs over the faces of the other villagers, gasps escaping their mouths, before the women settle into a sad recognition. Sokka expects shouts and disdain when he looks up. But is only met with warm sympathy.</p>
<p>‘Of course they expected something.’ Sokka tells himself. ‘They knew mom. They might have even been close when it happened.’</p>
<p>He jumps slightly when a hand lands on his shoulder. He turns around to see Laia give him a gentle smile before pulling him in a tight embrace. He can’t stop his tears as he feels others join their group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The storm subsides on the following day and they are able to restock their supplies.</p>
<p>In the end they would all have survived even if Sokka didn't share his secret, but he can't bring himself to regret it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Boy in the Iceberg and The Avatar Returns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is out with Katara fishing again. It is summer right now, and while outsiders would still find it too cold, it’s warm enough even for the young warrior. </p>
<p>Sokka watches his sister use her waterbending to catch a fish in a floating bubble. “Try to hold it still.” he asks her before trusting his spear into the sphere, skewering the fish.</p>
<p>They give each other a small grin as Sokka puts the fish with the other catches.</p>
<p>“That should be enough for today. Let's get back to the village.” But before the waterbender can even answer, their small canoe is caught in a wild current.</p>
<p>Sokka tries to steer the boat out of the way of the ice but soon the gets dangerously close to the obstacles. “Katara! Do something!”</p>
<p>“Like what?! There are too many!” </p>
<p>Sokka is about to complain as they smack into a small iceberg, shattering their canoe. </p>
<p>The siblings tumble onto the ice as the currents around them come to a halt.</p>
<p>The firebender turns to his sister with an annoyed stare. “You definitely could have done something.” </p>
<p>He gets a glare in return. “Oh I'm sorry mister perfect. I’m so sorry I wasn't able to bend multiple tons of ice while sitting in a rocking boat!” Her voice rises with every word and the iceberg beside them starts to crack. “Uhm, Katara. Listen...” </p>
<p>“No! You listen! I am fed up with you making dump comments about my bending when all you ever do is produce a palm size flame now and that's it. I know Gran-Gran says the old benders of our tribe were stronger, but I can't learn all of this without a teacher!”</p>
<p>“Katara!” Sokka shouts and points at the cracked glacier behind her. The waterbender snaps out of her frustrated rant and turns around. She reacts fast as she sees the ice crumble and bends their platform out of the area of falling debris. </p>
<p>Now, if you were to ask Sokka what happens after that, he would complain to you about how scientifically improbable, no, impossible all of the following events are. A person frozen in a cocoon of ice, who also is an airbender, who shows them his giant pet that can supposedly fly.</p>
<p>It is only a small blessing that the creature doesn't actually rise into the sky when the boy agrees to bring the sibling back to the village. </p>
<p>When the three of them return, Sokka introduces Aang to the village. And while the young substitute chief isn't so sure about the airbenders intention, he doesn't find any malice in the boy's action.</p>
<p>The small children seem to just have finished their training with some of the older huntresses, if their labored breathing is anything to go by. But they still seem to have enough energy to play with the newcomer and welcome him with open arms.</p>
<p>Aang captures their attention with different airbender tricks till he flies head first into Sokka's watchtower. He rubs his head and Sokka is really happy he managed to convince Katara to reinforce it with her waterbending.</p>
<p>He sits down with the women around the campfire and they start to prepare the freshly caught fish. Sokka strengthens the flame as they all watch the kids play with Aang.</p>
<p>“They still have so much energy. It seems we should increase the training again.” comes a suggestion from Gran-Gran sitting beside him. Seeing the other woman nod in agreement, Sokka fears he has created a monster and gives the young children a prayer of sympathy.</p>
<p>Soon he sees Aang and Katara leave the village to the west, and while he doesn't want his sister to run around alone with a stranger, he knows she can take care of her own. Especially with water and ice surrounding her on all sides.</p>
<p>They always trained their bending together, and while the young warrior didn't like to admit it, his sister easily surpassed him. They both listened to the stories about the benders from the old woman in the village, trying to find better ways to train their bending, so he knows his flames should be stronger, yet he hasn't found out how he should use them better.</p>
<p>Sokka tells himself Katara and him are doing well, but they don't really have a good comparison except each other.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy is hardening some leather training armor for the young boys with his flames when he sees a signal flare rise in the distance. </p>
<p>“Shit!!! Everyone! It looks like we are getting visitors!” He shouts and the villagers jump into action as soon as they see the burning light in the sky.</p>
<p>They went over this scenario many times before, with Sokka having it planned out into the smallest detail. He runs around the village and puts out all of the fires. If they aren't found in the first place it would be best. </p>
<p>The woman get the weapons out of the houses, hiding them in their clothing and under blankets, hidden from view but in an arm's reach if it breaks out into an actual fight.</p>
<p>For now, if their village is found, they will appear as non threatening as possible. Sokka will play the role of a weak warrior to be knocked out immediately so they will be underestimated and hopefully ignored.</p>
<p> After all, if the Fire Nation thinks anything like the water tribes, then none of them will assume that the old women are stronger than him, the oh so weak warrior. </p>
<p>The water tribe boy sits in his watchtower when he sees Katara and Aang nearing the village. He and some of the other warriors wait for them at the entrance of the village. </p>
<p>He tries to keep up his angry face but that turns out to be really hard when he sees the regret and shame in the eyes of the two children.</p>
<p>He listens to their apology and turns to the women beside him. They don't seem to think that Aang is lying either.</p>
<p>He lets out a sign before leading the two back into the village. “We will trust your word for now, but that is your last chance. One more mistake and you are out of here.” He tells the airbender, even if he isn't sure about his own words seeing the other boy’s puppy eyes. </p>
<p>“Don't worry! I won’t disappoint you again.” Sokka nods to him. “Ok. If the Fire Nation appears, hide behind these boxes over there, and don't come out till I tell you too. Seeing an airbender would definitely get their attention.”</p>
<p>Katara is already standing on the village wall, conjuring up a wall of fog to hide the village. It might be too late by now, but it is worth a try.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till the waterbender calls out to them, saying she feels something huge move through her fog.</p>
<p>The Fire Nation ship crashes into their wall, lowers it’s front to let the soldiers into the village. Sokka acts according to his plan and lets himself be kicked aside by an angry looking teen, probably not much older than himself.</p>
<p>The scar on the soldier's face twitches as he gives Sokka an annoyed glance.</p>
<p>Their deception seems to work, even if Sokka can see Umi’s fingers reach for the knives hidden in her sleeves more than once. </p>
<p>She holds back, luckily. After all she too is aware that attacking these soldiers would only lead to them calling for more backup.</p>
<p>Everything works well, until when the enemy fire bender throws a flame over their heads to intimidate them and Aang jumps out of his hiding place, proclaiming himself to be the avatar. Then the airbender trades his freedom in exchange for their safety.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, the Fire Nation soldiers agree, and leave without conflict after they took the young boy.</p>
<p>“The Avatar.” Sokka hears the villagers mumble by his side. He looks to his sister to see the same determination in her eyes as he now carries himself.</p>
<p>When the young warrior looks to Gran-Gran, she gives him a nod. “He might be the only one who is able to end this spirit forsaken war. Do what you have to do. We will be able to take care of ourselves for a while.”</p>
<p>The other Water Tribe members nod in agreement and the siblings give them a grateful smile.</p>
<p>Gran-Gran Packs them some provisions while Katara gives the broken village wall  a repair with her bending.</p>
<p>They prepare a cano until the avatar’s pet appears from behind the snow dunes. </p>
<p>The help of the Avatars flying Bison - and Sokka will never admit his shrieks when that happened - let them catch up to the Fire Nation ship in no time.</p>
<p>When they come in view, the two of them see the Fire Nation Prince having a flame assault on Aang. He is thrown from the ship, but before the siblings come close enough to fish him out of the water, he returns with a glorious display of waterbending before collapsing to the ground.</p>
<p>The Water Tribe siblings jump off Appa and hurry to the fallen boy. Katara takes him into her arms. “Aang! Are you ok?” He gives them a weak nod. “Thanks for coming.” Sokka helps him get up as his sister keeps him stable. </p>
<p>“That was some bending you did! You have to teach us that!” Aang looks still a bit winded but smiles. “I dropped my staff.” Sokka nods, but when he reaches it, the prince suddenly grabs onto it. </p>
<p>And while Sokka is fast to get rid of him - he will never forget that look on the prince’s face - it brought the crew enough time to send out soldiers to capture them.</p>
<p>When they get closer, Katara uses her bending to freeze all of them to the ground with one move, but accidentally catches Sokka in it too. </p>
<p>“What did we say about control Katara?!” He complains she shoots a small fireball to melt the ice around hids feet. His flames have never been big, but they are strong enough.</p>
<p>From the corner of his eyes Sokka can see the shocked and confused looks of the frozen soldiers as he runs onto Appa. “Yip Yip!” he shouts and the Bison rises into the sky. </p>
<p>But as soon as they are in the air a massive fireball shoots after them. More on instinkt than anything, Sokka reaches out to the flame. It is filled with the emotions of both of its creators, one side of anger, sadness, but with a tinge of hope, the other with reserve, worry and also hope, but in a different way.</p>
<p>Sokka extends the flame in his stomach outwards and takes control of the flame. He feels his energy getting drained but he manages to push it to the side, making it crash into the glacier beside them.</p>
<p>“You are a firebender?!” Aang shouts from behind the young warrior. To Sokka's relief, the airbenders' eyes don't seem angry or disgusted by that fact. Mainly really confused. “But I thought that the war has been going on since-” </p>
<p>The things seem to snap into place in the avatar’s head before he finishes the question. Sadness flashes over the boy's eyes and he gives Sokka a gentle hug. Sokka returns it gently. ‘Oh spirits, this kid shouldn't have to deal with this war.’ He holds the small body in his arms. ‘He is just a child.’ is the thought flowing in the warriors head. </p>
<p>When Sokka looks down, he can see Aang’s face ridden with guilt. And oh no that is not happening on Sokka's watch.</p>
<p>He takes the young boy’s face into his hands, gently nudging the boy to look the older into the eyes. “You know this isn’t your fault. You were still a child when the fire nation attacked the air nomads. You still are.”</p>
<p>Tears flow out of the young monks' eyes. “But I shouldn't be. I ran away because I couldn't take being the avatar. I should never have been caught in that ice. If I would have been with the others, then maybe things would have been different, maybe-!”</p>
<p>“Yes, maybe.” Sokka interrupts the younger gently. “But we will never know what would have happened. What I know is that the avatar -you- is still alive, and that there finally is hope for the world. Things might not be good, but a long as there is a chance, there is a way.”</p>
<p>“I know how much it is to ask this of you, but the world has been waiting for the avatar to return. I can't say that it will be easy. But you won't have to do it alone. Together, we can do it.”</p>
<p>Aang buries his face in Sokka’s coat as Katara hugs him from behind. Like that, they fly into the sunset, promising themselves to giving Aang all the support they ca</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Protective and supportive big brother Sokka is just the best and I will never get enough of it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Southern Air Temple and The Warriors of Kyoshi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even if it is to distract Aang from the state the Southern Air Temple is in, getting shot with the air ball and falling down onto the hard ground repeatedly is NOT fun.</p>
<p>Well at least he had some food. Sokka only just managed to stop Aang before he used  the seal jerky as firestarters yesterday. And why would you even need firestarters when you have a firebender around?</p>
<p>And the airbender still doesn't know that the Fire Nation managed to attack this place, because Katara decided to hide the helmet Sokka found under a pile of snow.</p>
<p>He doesn't think that was the right thing to do, but he will trust his sister's judgment - for now.</p>
<p>Aang leads them deeper into the temple, telling them stories as he guides them to the airbender door in the center. Sokka isn't sure how someone could survive in the closed off Air Sanctuary, but he supposes that if Aang survived, theoretically others could too.</p>
<p>The army statues they found inside where, in short, pretty damn creepy, sending shivers down Sokka's spine. After Aang snaps out of a weird soft of trance that tells him the name of the previous avatar, they are surprised by a lemur entering the hall.</p>
<p>And while Sokka already had some food today, he could really go for some more right now. Their supplies are pretty low anyway. Someone has to take care of that after all. </p>
<p>He and Aang start a race for who gets to the animal first, leaving Katara to continue exploring the hall.</p>
<p>While the two try to get ahead of each other, Sokka realizes he feels weirdly full of energy, not being out of breath like usually. His body feels warmer and he thinks he can almost feel the energy in his body flow into his limbs.</p>
<p>Aang tries to gain some advantage by hopping onto an air sphere, scooting along the wall. ‘I won't be able to catch up to that. Might as well try something like that too.’</p>
<p>He lets the warmth flow into his hands und shoots them backward, propelling himself to the exit of the tunnel.</p>
<p>The young avatar cheers at the move, dismounting his air sphere to throw it at Sokka. The older boy manages to dodge it by propelling himself into the air, but loses balance and crashes into the wall with a small shout. </p>
<p>“No one can catch up to an airbender!” Aang laughs and jumps down the balcony, out of Sokka's sight.</p>
<p>It takes the firebender ages to get down to the platform that Aang just jumped down to with his airbending. “This temple really isn't built for non airbenders.”</p>
<p>He enters the ruin he has seen Aang enter to see the boy kneeling on the ground, sobbing into his hands. He hurries to the boy's side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder before he looks around, taking in the brutal surrounding.</p>
<p>Mountains of Fire Nation skeleton, and on the far wall an airbender, the cloth and necklace still fresh in the young warrior's mind. ‘Oh no…’ </p>
<p>Before Sokka can even start to speak, Aang’s tattoos start to glow, and a wall of wind blows the building and Sokka away, crashing his head painfully against a wall.</p>
<p>Before the firebender can even recognize what is happening, Katara is by his side. “What happened to Aang?!”</p>
<p>“He found out that the Fire Nation killed Gyatso! We have to do something before he hurts himself!” </p>
<p>The two of them start to rush to the young boy, fighting on against the storm. Katara does the talking, Sokka still too shocked to speak, barely hearing her word.</p>
<p>They only manage to calm him by a margin, and brace him in a warm hug as the boy touches the ground again.</p>
<p>“You were right.” The young avatar says tired and so full of sadness that Sokka's heart nearly breaks. “I really am the last airbender.”</p>
<p>The firebender tightens his hug. “We can't say that for sure. Have trust in your people. There are bound to be at least some that have escaped. They probably went into hiding a 100 years ago, but at least the descendants of your tribe will be somewhere, even if they themself might not be aware of their heritage.” </p>
<p>“And there would be far more skeletons around here if every single one was killed. Plus, they are nomads. There were bound to be some who were on travels during the attack.” Sokka tries to reason.</p>
<p>The young boy looks up to Sokka before throwing himself into the other's arms. “Thank you.” He hears the other whisper. </p>
<p>‘Well, it looks like being optimistic for once in a while can be good too.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____________________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You have no idea how to use a map, do you?” Sokka looks up to Aang as the boy gives up an embarrassed laugh. </p>
<p>The firebender hands the map to Katara as he continues to fix his pants. She gives the map an equally confused look he has seen on Aang. ‘Ah I really can't leave these two to their own.’</p>
<p>After they land and Aang gives them a less than convincing reason why, Sokka decides to take the navigation in his own hands starting tomorrow. He looks up from the map with annoyance in his eyes, but that fades away as he hears Aang’s happy laugh from the distance while he rides the giant koi.</p>
<p>But the laughing is interrupted when a giant sea monster rises from the water. Aang sprints to the beach in record speed. Now, Sokka would like to say he gracefully caught Aang to stop him from crashing into the trees, but Katara would tell you a different story.</p>
<p>The warrior doesn't even have time to complain about his hurting head before they get ambushed. His flames spring to his attention at record speed, but even then he is chained up before the heat reaches his hand . </p>
<p>When their captives release their blindfold, Sokka can't control his outburst of disbelief. “We were captured by a bunch of children?” The leader seems to be Sokka's age at most, and the other warriors seem to all be younger than her.</p>
<p>Predictably, that comment doesn't sit well with them, but Katara manages to talk him out of even more trouble. “Just ignore my idiotic brother, he didn't mean it like that.”</p>
<p>But that doesn't seem to calm the others.</p>
<p>“How do we know you aren't Fire Nation spies?” And man did Sokka dodge a bullet there. If he was even a second faster at the beach they probably would have been fish food already.</p>
<p>At the end, it is Aang’s airbending trick that convinces them, and they are left to roam free.</p>
<p>They even give them a full buffet, but Sokka is too distracted to eat. He is ashamed to admit it, but he really didn't have a chance against the Kyoshi warriors. Yes, they did have the element of surprise, but even in an fair fight they probably would have lost.</p>
<p>‘I have to be able to protect Aang and Katara. And for that I have to get stronger.’</p>
<p>He excuses himself after only a small snack before searching for the warriors training hall. </p>
<p>He finds them in the middle of a training session. “Uhm, do you have a second?” he asks awkwardly into the room, voice quiet.</p>
<p>“Oh, did the big, strong warrior come and grace us with his presence? Or what brought you here.” The voice of the girl - Suki if he heard the village leader right - is kind and sweet like honey, but Sokka can definitely feel the edge hidden in it. </p>
<p>The firebender swallows his pride and lowers himself onto his knees before her. “I am sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't think you could be that strong despite being so young.”</p>
<p>“I have come here to ask something of you. I swore to myself to protect Aang and my sister, but seeing you best us so easily I realized how weak I am. So I ask you, please teach me so I can protect my family, so I never will louse anyone important to me ever again.” He lowers his head even more and waits for a reply.</p>
<p>After a moment he hears rustling cloth in front of him and he raises his head. Suki has her hand extended to him. “It seems we have misjudged you.” She says with a smile. “Normally we don't teach outsiders, let alone boys, but this time, we will make an exception.”</p>
<p>Sokka's face lights up like the sun. “Thank you so much! I won't disappoint you!” He takes her hand and is pulled to his feet. A mischievous smile spreads over Suki's face. “Oh, but one more thing. You will have to follow ALL of our traditions.”</p>
<p>The giggling of the girls sends a cold shower down Sokka's spine. </p>
<p>_________________________</p>
<p>The dress, it turns out, was far heavier than expected. “I already know the answer, but do I really have to wear this?” </p>
<p>Suki gives a small laugh. “You should  be proud. The uniform symbolizes the bravery and honor of a warrior.”</p>
<p>And he has to admit, he really likes the sound of that. But before he can articulate that thought, he hears Aang outside the door. “Nice dress Sokka.”</p>
<p>“I am rocking this better than you ever could!” he calls after Aang, ignoring the fact that the boy is the reincarnation of Kyoshi herself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Training turns out surprisingly well. Sokka never had the best endurance, but he feels like the energy is practically flowing  out of him.</p>
<p>And he really needed that energy, because the dress was far heavier than his normal leather armor, even with the coat he always wore over it. </p>
<p>‘How can they move so fast in this?!’ His whole  body is hurting now. The fans the warriors use as weapons might look small, but they hurt as much as a club, and he doesn't even want to start about his aching muscles. </p>
<p>The young warrior doesn't even have enough energy to complain.</p>
<p>‘Ha, me not complaining. I must be closer to dying than expected.’</p>
<p>But the biggest problem for him is how hot he feels under his armor. ‘I NEVER felt so hot in my life ever before.’ </p>
<p>The other girls already left the training hall to make a patrol around the island. Sokka collapses to the ground and gives out a deep groan.</p>
<p>That is when it happens. A small tongue of flames leaves his mouth as the heat within his body is released.</p>
<p>Sokka raises his head, hoping that Suki didn't spot the fire, but the shock in her eyes proves the opposite. </p>
<p>He raises his hands in surrender but she already has her fan at his throat.</p>
<p>“How?! But you where-”</p>
<p>“I can explain!” He all but shouts. “Please let me explain.” And to his relief some of the anger in her eyes shifts to something more like confusion.</p>
<p>She doesn't take away the fan from its position, but lowers herself to his kneeling position. “Well, I hope you have a good reason for this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Sokka laid his story out before her, the room is filled with silence. He nearly jumps when Suki takes the fan from his throat.</p>
<p>“I will believe you.” She says in a calm voice, becoming more gentle as she speaks. “I will admit, I still think that firebending is scary, but I just can't imagine you misusing it. Plus, the avatar seems to trust you.”</p>
<p>She gives him a grin, her body visibly relaxing. “The thought that a firebender knows our technique is a bit weird, but I will get over that.” </p>
<p>Sokka stands up and the two are about to start sparring again, as the village leader appears in the door. </p>
<p>“The Fire Nation has landed on our shores. Girls, come quickly!” </p>
<p>The two of them run out of the building and to the village. The Fire Nation prince is angrily shouting for the avatar. That seems to be a theme for him. </p>
<p>Sokka removes his gloves, and Suki’s eyes flash with recognition. She probably has seen enough Fire Nation armors to know why.</p>
<p>As the enemies ride into the village, the Kyoshi warriors plus Sokka place themselves on the roofs, and simultaneously ambush them from all sides, knocking half of the soldiers from their mounts.</p>
<p>Sokka has seen them train before, but seeing them deal with the Fire Nation so easily makes his respect for the girls grow even more.</p>
<p>Prince Jerkbender throws fire at them from afar, Suki advances through his soldiers, evading each blast of heat.</p>
<p>She jumps into the air, diving for her enemy. But Zuko reacts, spinning his mount and slaming its tail into the warrior.</p>
<p>The prince turns to her, and shoots a bright blast of fire her way. </p>
<p>What he doesn't expect is the fire to turn course, and fly back his way.</p>
<p>He blocks it with another blast to see Sokka positioning him between the two.</p>
<p>Zuko’s distraction is used by one of the girls, tackling him off his rhino. It almost seems like they have him cornered, before he spins from the ground, whirling fire throwing them away.</p>
<p>Aang takes this moment to show up. He uses some fans to throw Zuko through a building, seemingly immobilizing him for a while. </p>
<p>Suki drags Sokka behind a building. “You have to go while you can, we will hold them back.” </p>
<p>The firebender nods. “Thank you. For everything. I don't know how I will ever repay you.” </p>
<p>She smiles and gives him a small kiss on his cheek. “You can think of a way when we meet next. Now go!”</p>
<p>He hops onto Appa and they fly into the distance. He feels bad as a warrior, but knows this is the right thing to do. </p>
<p>Sokka sinks into his mind, the kiss with Suki still making him blush.</p>
<p>It isn't until much later that he realizes he accidentally stole one of the Kyoshi uniforms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter feels a bit rushed, but it just didn't fit if I tried to draw it out longer. These episodes had surprisingly little Sokka screen time. </p>
<p>I hope you like itanyway!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The King of Omashu and Imprisoned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adventure in the two kinds of Earth kingdom towns.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The city of Omashu, Sokka thinks, is incredibly impressive. He really wishes they could build non melting buildings at home too, but for that they would need to bring the building materials all the way from the mainland.</p>
<p>After getting into the city with a trick that should never have worked, and Aang’s oh so brilliant idea to ride on the delivery system, they end up in front of the King.</p>
<p>For some reason the King decides to throw them a feast, and while the food is good and the jokes are funny, Sokka can't shed the feeling that the King knows far more than he lets on. </p>
<p>The young warrior felt the man’s look on him and the amount of time he rests his hands on either of their shoulders is quite unsettling. But the old woman in the village did that too, so it might be a thing?</p>
<p>But the old man doesn't seem to be on the throne for no reason, considering he finds out Aang’s identity in a matter of minutes. </p>
<p>The airbenders' attempt to get them out of here obviously fails and Sokka can already imagine the deep damp prison the insane King will throw them into. “We are in serious trouble. This guy is nuts.” he says to mostly himself.</p>
<p>And the deadly challenges the King speaks of don't promise anything good. As they are escorted to their cell, the young warrior looks for a way to escape the guard, but he doesn't find an opening.</p>
<p>‘They didn't even have regular doors! Even if we find a way to knock these guys out, there are still multiple walls of solid rock between us and the exit!’ But he does admit it is a brilliant defence strategy.</p>
<p>At least the cell is far better than he would have ever expected. It might even be better than his home at the South Pole!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The night's sleep turns out surprisingly well. That is until someone seems to have snuck into the chamber and cover the mouths of the siblings, forcing them out of the room without waking Aang.</p>
<p>To be used as hostages is hurting the warriors pride, but at the moment the creeping crystal is the bigger problem for him.</p>
<p>He tries to get it off, but it has already constricted around his finger.</p>
<p>‘I might be able to make it burst by heating it fast enough, but even then I have no idea how to help Katara out of them without burning her. Let’s leave to Aang for now.’</p>
<p>And while the tests only make Sokka more sure of the fact that the king is insane, Aang manages to master them at a good speed. </p>
<p>The only worrying thing is that the old man doesn't seem to be irritated by that at all, he looks happy even, so the real challenge probably still to come.</p>
<p>It all works well until Aang chooses the king as his opponent. At first the firebender thought it was a brilliant idea, till the King sheds his coat and shows more muscles than Sokka ever had. ‘If I survive this I have to ask for his workout plan.’</p>
<p>Every time the King throws boulders after Aang, Sokka clenches his hand, holding back no to shoot a fireball at the old man. He might be covered on crystal, but he should be able to do at least something.</p>
<p>The firebender knows he can trust Aang, the kid is the avatar after all, but Sokka flinches every time the boy is hit with another attack.</p>
<p>If his life wouldn't be on the line, Sokka is sure he would really enjoy this fight. Both of the combatants are masters of their craft, throwing around different kinds of techniques left and right, culminating in a tornado and a bolder the size of a house.</p>
<p>At the end the king recognizes Aang’s victory after the two of them have each other at a standstill. ‘Did the king just smile? I definitely didn't imagine it this time.’</p>
<p>“Wonderful. You have passed all my tests. Now you must answer one last question. What is my name.” He stops for a dramatic pause. “I will wait for you in the throne room.”</p>
<p>Aang looks distraught. “How am I supposed to know his name?”</p>
<p>Sokka shrugs, or attempts to. “It probably has to do something with the tests. He might be insane, but he has never acted unfair to them.”</p>
<p>The group settles in a thoughtful silence. “We could ask the guards. I don't think he informed any person of the castle of the exact riddle he will present us with, and asking for a name won't be suspicious.” </p>
<p>Katara looks baffled. “That might actually work.” </p>
<p>“No need.” Aang interrupts them, a grin on his face. “I know his name.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The old king turning out to be Aang’s old friend was something Sokka never would have accepted. ‘If Aang had shown us a picture, things might have been different.’</p>
<p>The King laughs as he breaks their crystal prison with a wave of his hand. “But you have really collected a wild group of companions. The only element you are missing is Earth. Too bad I have a kingdom to rule.”</p>
<p>‘Wait did he…’ Sokka draws in a sharp breath.</p>
<p>“You don't have to look so shocked, Water Tribe boy. I lived long enough and met many people. And being observant - listening to your surroundings is the core of earthbending.”</p>
<p>Aang looks impressed. “But how? He didn't even bend!”</p>
<p>Bumi waves his hand dismissively. “It’s the little things. The way you walk, breath and even the flow of the blood. But the thing that gave it away was temperature.”</p>
<p>“So at the table when you touched my shoulder, you already knew?” The old king nods.”I would love to teach you more, Aang, but you will have to learn water first, then earth.”</p>
<p>“I take it you are already searching for a master?” Aang nods. “We are traveling to the north pole! There Katara and I will find us a teacher!”</p>
<p>Bumi nods and turns to Sokka. “With the two of them covered for, you will need to learn to control your bending too. I would love to teach you, but firebending isn't exactly my specialty.” </p>
<p>The king laughs at his own joke before turning serious again. “But I can at least give you this knowledge on the way: Watch and listen. If you want it or not, you will meet many great firebenders on your way. And you can learn much from your enemies.”</p>
<p>Sokka gives a smile at that. “That is actually a great idea. Thank you.” The old king makes a dismissive gesture. “Don't mention it. You already seem to have the basic breathing down without having a teacher, you would have gotten the idea anyway.”</p>
<p>Though worry starts to creep into the warriors mind. “Will every good bender find me out this easily?” Bumi shakes his head. “Pa, only those who know what they are looking for. You shouldn't have to worry about it that much.”</p>
<p>The man turns serious again. “Aang, you have a difficult task ahead of you. Much has changed in the last 100 years, and now it is your duty to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai.” he smiles. “I know you can do it, no matter how hard it will appear at times. Just never forget how useful it can be to think outside the box.”</p>
<p>Aang jumps into the man's arms, giving him a tender hug. The water tribe siblings can only smile at the scene. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bumi ends up giving them provisions and money on their way, before they climb on Appa and rise into the sky. And while Aang keeps talking about all his old stories with Bumi (and the ride over the mail system before they left some minutes ago), Sokka’s thoughts run back to the firebending of the prince, replying each move in their head. </p>
<p>‘I will make them show me more of their techniques, if they want it or not. I am the plan guy after all.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka won't say it to their faces, but he finds the earthbenders in this village pathetic. He understands that they fear the Fire Nation, but seeing them so short after being in the city of Omashu doesn't make for the best comparison. </p>
<p>At least it is warmer around here. He really likes that.</p>
<p>Sokka avoids using his bending while he is here. He still went through the stretching and breathing exercises but limits himself to weapon practice. </p>
<p>He was coming back from his morning training when a panicked Katara comes running his way. Sokka's opinion of the villagers falls even more when he hears of the betrayal of the old man that Haru saved.</p>
<p>Luckily, the Fire Nation soldiers positioned in this city are dumber than the rocks they walk on, and they manage to convince them that Katara is an Earthbender to bring her to wherever the prisoners are held.</p>
<p>They watch from the distance as Katara is pushed onto a boat, and follow it with Appa, careful to never dip under the cover of clouds, till they know the location of the prison island.</p>
<p>They two boys rest on a small nearby island, waiting till the designated meeting time with Katara.</p>
<p>Now that they are out of view from any people, Sokka starts going through the fire bending moves he has seen the prince do. </p>
<p>It’s not much, but it's something. ‘And soon I will have more to work with.’</p>
<p>Gran-Gran and the other women of the tribe have always praised Sokka for his memory, and it is one of the things he is proud to have. One time should be enough to at least know in theory how it is supposed to look like.</p>
<p>He goes into position, bending his knees and straightening his back,  and performs a strong and quick forward punch, spinning his arm with the movement as he exhales. </p>
<p>His foot slips slightly and the rhythm feels slightly of, but the result exceeds his expectations by far. A flame easily the size of his own body bursts out of him, leaping onto the rocks in front of him. </p>
<p>The blast sends the firebender flying backward, but instead of hard rock, he is caught by the small arms of Aang. </p>
<p>The young avatar has stars in his eyes as he sets Sokka back onto his feet. “That was amazing! I didn't know you were such a good firebender! You have to teach me!” </p>
<p>Sooka has to catch himself for a moment before he starts speaking. “I didn't either. That was the biggest flame I ever created! I didn't think a simple stance could make that much difference in raw power.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka stays on Appa while Aang sneaks through the camp to find Katara. The boy might not have the right mindset for stealth, but his steps are as light as a feather, so the role falls to him.</p>
<p>When the boy and Katara return, Haru isn't with them. </p>
<p>“Where is Haru? We have gotta get out of here.” Katara shakes her head. “I am not leaving. I’m not giving up on these people.”</p>
<p>And what would Sokka give to be able to convince her that this is a really bad idea. He knows this stubbornness will get all of them killed one day. But he can't exactly just not help the other two.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the end, they decide that giving the earthbenders the coal as a weapon would be the best idea, so they can help bust themselves out. </p>
<p>The siblings are waiting for Aang to send them the coal when they are found by the guards. ‘I really don't want to scare the earthbenders with my bending, but doesn’t look like I have a choice.’</p>
<p>He is about to go into a position when the coal comes flying out of the air vent. </p>
<p>Sokka's heart nearly stops when none of the prisoners start to take action, but at the end Haru begins and the others follow. </p>
<p>Sokka fights where he can but his attention lies on the movements of the enemies. He tries to save every twitch into his memory, keeping them for later.</p>
<p>To his surprise, there are no injuries beyond some light burns on their side, and the firebenders are thrown into the ocean. </p>
<p>They take the boats and start their way back to the mainland as Sokka goes to the things he has learned. It’s nothing special or complicated, but the quick attacks of the prison chief could be useful.</p>
<p>Now what is Katara screaming about her necklace?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I still don't have a beta, so yeah. I hope you liked it!</p>
<p>The next chapter should be out soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Winter Solstice Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The sun is bright and warm, gently shining on Sokka.  But that doesn't mean he is prepared for anything that is going to happen to him today.  And neither does Aang seem to be.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I took a bit more liberties with this chapter, considering there wasn't seen much with Sokka. </p>
<p>I hope you like it anyway!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is laying on his back as Appa lies through the sky, soaking in the sunlight. A goofy smile sneaks onto his face as he feels the warmth spread through his body.</p>
<p>“Uhm, are you ok, Sokka?” Katara asks worried from the side. “Never better!” comes the happy call from the firebender, not even opening his eyes. </p>
<p>He hears a terrified gasp from beside him. “Oh no, he is already getting delusional! I knew it was only a question of time till you get ill again.”</p>
<p>Sokka sits up and tries his best to look hurt by the comment. “Even I can be happy and not sarcastic now and then, you know. I’m just enjoying the sun!”</p>
<p>Katara doesn't seem convinced but he hears Aang shift closer to them. “I think this is normal. From what I know, firebenders really need the sun to be healthy. It’s no wonder he was always ill if he grew up at the South Pole.”</p>
<p>His sister looks thoughtful. “Maybe you're right. It was always harder for him during the polar night. Perhaps he really needed this.”</p>
<p>He tries to ignore the rest of their conversation till he hears Katara shift to her worried voice. “What is that?”</p>
<p>He sits up to see a giant scar like burn cut the lush forest in half. They land and inspect the area. The silence sends a shiver down Sokka’s neck.</p>
<p>‘Firebenders did this, people like me. This happens if I lose control.’ He looks down onto his hands. Aang notices Sokka and approaches him, taking the older’s hands into his own.</p>
<p>“This isn't your fault. I know you would never do something like this.” The simple words are enough to calm the firebender. “You know, sometimes you sound like an old man.” Sokka laughs. Katara approaches them from the side. “Well, he is 112 years old after all.”</p>
<p>“But look.” She holds out a small acorn. “It will take a long time, but the forest will heal.” She gestures to a small sapling rising from an acorn under a burned log, the green so vibrant and alive in this dead landscape.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sokka genuinely returns to his companions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They soon notice the old man approaching them, asking them for their help. Aang, the kind soul he is, agrees to help the villagers.</p>
<p>But if it is really a spirit, what Sokka doubts, then it would really be Aang’s job, being the avatar and all. It isn't until later that the young airbender tells them he has no idea what to do.</p>
<p>Right now Sokka is sitting behind the window, looking at Aang's back as the boy stares into the deep forest, the sunset illuminating the village.</p>
<p>“This isn't right. We can't just sit here while Aang waits for some monster to show up.” Katara places a calming hand on his shoulder. “Have trust in him.” But the firebender can see the worry in her eyes too. </p>
<p>The sun is setting, and Sokka already misses it’s gentle glow. Aang waits for a bit longer, but shrugs and turns around when the spirit does not appear.</p>
<p>He walks back to the village hall, but something materializes out of the shadows behind him, whispers floating through the air. </p>
<p>“Aang! Turn around!” To Sokka’s surprise, the boy stays remarkably calm. ‘Is that an airbender or avatar thing?’ He tries to talk to the spirit, but it shouts, releasing some eerie light, and rushes to destroy the buildings.</p>
<p>As the futile attempts of Aang to calm the spirit go on, Sokka gets more and more worried. Soon he can't take the comments of the village leader anymore, and rushes out to help the young boy. “I won't just let that thing hurt Aang!”</p>
<p>And while making the spirit angry by throwing his boomerang at it might not have been the best idea, it at least got the attention away from Aang. He was panicking, okay?</p>
<p>The spirit grabs Sokka, with a speed he didn't think possible from something this big, and running into the forest. He slowly feels himself louse consciousness as he hears Aang shout his name in the distance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first thing that he felt when he woke up, was the heat dancing over his skin. He opens his eyes.</p>
<p>There are flames dancing over his skin, jumping, circling like fish in a river. </p>
<p>He stands up, looking around, taking in the orange trees around him, their leaves sailing to the ground in the gentle summer breeze.</p>
<p>He feels someone's eyes on him, filled with interest, not malice, so he turns to it slowly, not trying to startle it.</p>
<p>The watcher looks like a small bird, its feathers made from bright fire, not unlike the one surrounding him.</p>
<p>But the flames seem weak, tired almost, so he gives it some of his own. He feels the heat leave his body, draw on his core, but his flame is strong, so full of energy and life, that it goes back to its full might as soon as the small spark splits from him. </p>
<p>The small one flies into the air, so full of joy, it’s flame flickering with happiness. Circling around, leaving a trail of embers, that seems to call to him, leading him.</p>
<p>It flies into the forest, and he follows, scurrying over the warm red grass, light as the fire surrounding him.</p>
<p>When the small one stops, they are surrounded by a meadow of flowers, red like flames, gently swaying in the warm breeze. There are more like it, gliding through the air, daring between the flowers.</p>
<p>They fly around him, inspecting him, their little flames full of wonder and excitement. He giggles as one brushes it's burning feathers over his arm, his flames gently flying around it in return.</p>
<p>Many of them settle on his body, and their flames bounce between each other. He gives them some of his, and they return it with theirs. </p>
<p>But he doesn't stay long. It’s like he has to go somewhere, a feeling that somewhere, somebody is waiting for him, and soon he continues, following the path of the sun. </p>
<p>Soon the surrounding changes, the lush plants giving place to cold wasteland, fog obscuring the distance. But he had to continue, he knows it, somehow. And his instinct brought him here.</p>
<p>A path of rustic stone pillars leads him further into the wasteland, passing sharp mountains, giant creatures moving in the mist, till he reaches an ancient, crooked tree. It seems to have long lost its leaves, and its branches and roost started twisting into themselves.</p>
<p>He feels the dark presence when he enters, but he knows he shouldn't be afraid.</p>
<p>The hushing, clicking of legs around his appears fast, but is surprisingly not shocking for him. The one who is now in front of him looks at him with curious eyes.</p>
<p>“What do we have here? Now isn't that something I haven't seen in quite a while.” It says at it hangs from the ceiling. “At first I thought you were lost, but you look like you are searching for something. But where are my manners, I am known as Koh. It is always a pleasure to have interesting people in my realm.”</p>
<p>The young flame bows his head, a short gesture of gratitude. He feels the strength of the spirit in front of him, but no anger or aggression. </p>
<p>Koh seems to deem that as enough of an answer, as he continues speaking.</p>
<p>“I feel you mind being in a disarray. Memoires and thought, spirit and identity all flowing out of order. Do you remember what led you here?” The spirit speaks calmly, interested. He answers by shaking his head.</p>
<p>“I thought so. The spirit world isn't a place most can pass through, though seem to manage remarkably well.” It crawls around the wall, inspecting him from all sides. </p>
<p>Koh gives of a pleased humming. “I will admit that you caught my interest. I can barely remember someone who traveled here like you and didn't end up in the spirit mist. But I can imagine that you would rather return from where you came from.”</p>
<p>Return? That sounds good to him. Why? He doesn't know. But he doesn't need to. He nods to the ancient spirit in front of him. </p>
<p>Koh continues circling him. “It is only natural. But it is quite fascinating. most don't manage to keep even the simplest of thoughts in these realms if they don't already have a link to the spirits.” </p>
<p>“But you don't have to worry. The situation will clear itself soon, you won't need my help.” It stops right in front of his face, so close that his flames throw distinct shadows over Koh. </p>
<p>“We will have to say goodbye here. But we might see each other again, on days yet to come. I have my eyes on you, little flame. Don't bore me, special one. Maybe you will even remember this.”</p>
<p>He notices bamboo sprouting at his feet as the spirit backs away. He gives it a last bow of gratitude before he is swallowed by the plants, and the cave he was in is obscured.</p>
<p>He finds himself walking, step by step through the dense plantlife, he parts the last wall of plants to see the gentle moonlight reach his face. </p>
<p>“Sokka!” He hears before he is embraced in a tight hug. “What happened?”. Sokka finds himself say, a storm of memories and thoughts rushing around his head, slowly settling down as the storm in his head subsides.</p>
<p>“You were trapped in the spirit world for 24 hours. How are you feeling?” </p>
<p>To be honest, not good. His mind feels like it's about to split and and his insides cramp, he needs a moment for himself. “Like I seriously need to use the bathroom.”</p>
<p>He hurries behind a building as he sees Katars run back to Aang, congratulating him on his work.</p>
<p>Sokka leans against the nearest wall as soon as he is out of view, the exhaustion catching up to him. </p>
<p>“What the heck was that? That wasn't just a dream, right? There is now way I just imagined that.”</p>
<p>He wipes the sweat from his forehead as he begins to calm his breath. His body feels hot, the usually small flame in his stomach strong as a wildfire, and probably for the first time in his life, Sokka feels so hot that he wants to jump into an ice lake.</p>
<p>‘Is that because of the spirit world? That was the spirit world, right?’ he pokes his head around the corner to look at the other people who were captives of the spirit. ‘They don’t look like they have the same problem. Is it because they aren't firebenders?’</p>
<p>He continues calming his breath, and soon feels the flame shrink to its normal size. ‘I would really appreciate a teacher now. Or anyone who could tell me about this, really.’</p>
<p>He joins the other two as the villagers celebrate Aang as their savior. But the enthusiasm dies down not too fast after the exhaustion catches up to the people. </p>
<p>The group decides to stay for the night, feeling far too tired already after packing the gifts from the village elder onto Appa’s saddle. </p>
<p>They are about to fall into their beds when Aang speaks up. “I have to tell you something. I think I found a way to talk to avatar Roku.” He looks sheepishly to the side, and Sokka knew that face from his sister. This can't be good. “But there is a sliiiight problem with that. It has to be at the Solstice, and the temple where I can do it is in the Fire Nation.“</p>
<p>And jep, Sokka definitely was too tired for this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope the spirit world scene was ok? I tried out some things and this felt best. The weird uncertain vibe seemed fitting.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Winter Solstice part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Gaang makes their way into the Fire Nation territory, and Sokka has another meeting with a certain firebender.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning - If you can even call it that. The sun hasn't even risen so it was at most 4 hours since they went to bed - Sokka is awoken by Aang’s attempt to sneak out of the building.</p>
<p>He wastes no time in waking his sister. “What is it?” Her voice is tired and annoyed.</p>
<p>“Aang is trying to go. Alone.” That is enough to grab her attention. She jumps out  of the bed and they grab their bags to hurry after Aang.</p>
<p>“I still don’t think this is a good idea. It's far too risky.” Katara says quietly.</p>
<p>“I think so too, but it doesn't look like we will be able to stop Aang. But maybe this spirit nonsense is worth the risk. Who is a better judge of that then the avatar himself?”</p>
<p>They find the boy in the central plaza of the village, struggling to get Appa into the air. “Let's go, Appa! Come on! Look, I am sorry but I don't want to throw Katara and Sokka into even more danger. If they get hurt, I would never forgive myself.”</p>
<p>Sokka felt his heart warm at the boy’s worry for them. “Let that be our worry.” He interrupts Aang. “We can take care of ourselves. You won't get rid of us this easily.”</p>
<p>“I can't drag you into the Fire Nation. I already asked so much of you!”</p>
<p>They approach Aang and Katara sets her hands on the avatar’s shoulders. “We really meant it when we told you that you are part of the family now. We take care of each other. Don't forget this.”</p>
<p>And wow Sokka wishes she had half that patience when dealing with him. “Yeah buddy. We got your back.”</p>
<p>“...Ok…” Aang's voice is quiet but convinced. “But we have to hurry! The Solstice is today!”</p>
<p>The two climb onto Appa, and damn Sokka is still not used to flying. He prefers the beautiful, solid ground. At least he can see the sunrise really well from here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The flight was relatively uneventful, until it wasn't and they were shot at with burning boulders by the Fire Nation prince.</p>
<p>“Aang! Left!” Katara shouts. The projectile misses by a good distance but Sokka still feels the heat of the fire. And the smell. Definitely the smell. God, what kind of stuff do they put on these rocks?!</p>
<p>“We have to get higher! Before he shoots another stinker at us!” She continues. </p>
<p>“Can you make Appa go a bit faster- '' The words die in his throat as he sports the ships in front of them. “Oh you have gotta be kidding me.” </p>
<p>The ships in the blockade don't waste time to shoot a volley of fire at them. </p>
<p>As the burning projectiles come flying their way, Sokka rushes to the stand on Appa’s head and extends his hands to the flame.</p>
<p>He reaches out his mind, and grabs controle of the flame. The boulder that carries the burning oil is heavy, but Sokka flares his energy on the left side of the projectile, shoving it out of Appa’s way. </p>
<p>‘This works surprisingly well.’ Sokka muses. ‘It somehow feels easier than usual.’</p>
<p>The next wave of rocks rises into the sky, catching Sokka's attention again. A grin forms on his face as he lets his inner flame grow, its light flowing into his limbs.</p>
<p>Before the missile even comes close, he bends the flame. It slows down, coming to a near halt, before Sokka shoots it back at the ships, the flame now bright and powerful.</p>
<p>It crashes onto the ship's bow, creating a glowing crater of molten and broken metal.</p>
<p>“Ha! You can have that back!” Sokka shouts. That was the first time his bending came so easily to him. Now he understands Katara's enthusiasm even more.</p>
<p>“That was amazing!” Aang calls from behind him. Sokka shoots him a wide grin before he turns to the front again. </p>
<p>“Looks like you haven't learned your lesson!” He calls as the barricade continues their attack. </p>
<p>His inner flame spreads out again and he breathes out a small tongue of flames. Each of his hands grab ahold of a flaming boulder, clenching, grabbing the heat, and hurls them at the attackers. </p>
<p>They hit the ships dead center, one even taking out a catapult. But that doesn't seem to deter them. But by now Sokka got the hang out of it. The movement, no, the pulse of the flame and the arc of the projectiles.</p>
<p>This time most boulders don't even come close, already being under the firebenders controle as they rise into the sky. His extended hands are steady, in sync with their targets, before Sokka throws them down, the boulders following his movements, hailing down onto the ships. </p>
<p>He hears a horn sound from the flagship, and the volley stops right as they fly directly over the ships. “Looks like that did it.” He says, walking back onto Appa’s saddle. He slumps onto the soft ground, exhaustion catching up to him. </p>
<p>But it feels good. The small leftover pieces of his energy buzz gently in his body, making all of him feel warm. He laughs, breathing out small flames as he falls onto his back. He relaxes as his inner flame seems to dance in the sunlight.</p>
<p>“That was amazing!” Katara sits beside him with wide eyes. “I have never seen you do that!”</p>
<p>Aang nods enthusiastically as he turns around. “Yeah! That was so cool! I never knew you could do something like that!”</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a laugh, happy but tired as he nearly glows under the praise. “I didn't know I could do that either.” He says letting out a loud yawn, his eyes drifting shut as he feels the flame in his stomach settle into a calm and gentle glow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There it is!” Sokka is woken up by Aang’s call. He sits up, taking in the glow of the setting sun before turning his attention to the island below.</p>
<p>“Wow.” is the only word that leaves his lips. The volcano seems to constantly spew magma, the heat shimmering in the air. It flows into Sokka fueling his inner flame like cinder, and he feels like the energy is about to burst out of him.</p>
<p>As soon as they land in front of the temple the firebender jumps from the bison, and starts stretching, flexing his muscles and letting the energy flow through him. He would like to jump and run around, but Katara’s look is already worried enough.</p>
<p>“Uhm, Sokka? Are you ok?” She seems seriously worried as she carefully approaches Sokka. “Are you not feeling well?”</p>
<p>“Not feeling well?” The words come out louder than expected and Sokka has to consciously lower his voice as he continues. “I never felt better! There is so much energy here! Don't you feel it? How can I not feel well! Is that how you always felt when we were at the South Pole? Is this normal for firebenders? Do all benders feel like that?”</p>
<p>The flood of words doesn't seem to calm Katara by any margin. She looks like she is about to see something when Aang puts his hand onto her shoulder.</p>
<p>“It actually is normal, I think.” The airbender says, addressing both of them. The boy has a glint of amusement as he looks at Sokka who started running in place. “Firebenders are strengthened by the heat and sun, like the waterbenders are during the full moon.”</p>
<p>The avatar puts his hand on his chin, seemingly deep in thought. “Now that I think about it, how did you even manage to deal with the conditions when you were at the pole? I heard that cold and lack of sun are so harmful to firebenders that they are used in their highest security prisons to detain criminals.”</p>
<p>Sokka just shrugs before continuing with his training. That doesn't stop him from talking though. “Maybe it's because I grew up with it. But don't get me wrong, I was always a sickly child, especially during the Polar night when the sun didn't come out. But I guess I just learned to deal with it.” </p>
<p>A grin spreads over his face. “That means that from now on I can live up to my full strength! The world will tremble before my might!” He calls and strikes a pose, flexing his arms.</p>
<p>Katara lets out a groan as Aang laughs. Sokka straightens up and points to the stairs. “But we don't have time for this right now! To the temple!” He doesn't wait for their answer as he sprints up the stairs.</p>
<p>The exasperated face of Katara of his panting sister as she finally reaches the top of the stairs only makes Sokka happier. Usually he would be the one lagging behind.</p>
<p>They quietly enter the temple, sneaking along the walls when a sound behind them catches Sokka’s attention. He whirls around, the other two following, to see a bunch of old men standing behind them.</p>
<p>“We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the avatar.”</p>
<p>“Great! I am the avatar!” Aang says as he approaches them. Sokka doesn't share his enthusiasm. ‘They don't feel like they are-”</p>
<p>“We know.” The sage interrupts Sokka’s thought and three of them throw fireballs at the kids.</p>
<p>The flames are fast. But Sokka grabs two of them, throwing them back at their creators, Aang taking the other. The flames swell in size before they burst between the two parties, creating a burning wall that obscures both parties visions. </p>
<p>“Run!” Aang shouts, and the three make their way into the hallways. “This way!” The boy runs ahead.</p>
<p>“Do you even know where you're going?” Aang doesn't get to answer as there suddenly is a Fire Sage in front of them. </p>
<p>“Wrong way!” The boy shouts, taking off in the opposite direction.</p>
<p> “Come back!” The man shouts. But his voice isn't filled with the same hatred as the other Sage. Sokka comes to a halt and turns to the man. </p>
<p>The young firebender can feel the energy leak out of the other man. It is gentle, if hesitant, and slowly filling with happiness as he sees the warrior stop running.</p>
<p>“Sokka! What are you doing!” Katara has run back to grab his hand, trying to drag him away. </p>
<p>“No. Wait Katara. He isn't with the rest of them.” She looks sceptical, but the man kneeling to the ground in front of Aang shuts her up.</p>
<p>“Your friend is right. I don't want to fight you. You wish to meet avatar Roku, right? I can take you there.” </p>
<p>He opens a secret passageway with his bending, leading the three through the maga filled tunnels, up through the temple. “These secret passages were formed by Roku himself. My grandfather told me about them.”</p>
<p>“But I have to say, that was quite an impressive display of firebending you have shown before.” The Fire Sage addresses Sokka. “Who did you learn under?”</p>
<p>“I didn't learn under anyone. I didn't really have a teacher at home in the Water Tribe.” The boy says, his tone sceptical at the compliment. “Until recently all I had were some stories our grandma told us.”</p>
<p>The eyes of the elder become comically large. “You are telling me that is all self taught? I can't believe that. Taking control of another's fire is considered a technique even hard for many masters! Tell me, what kind of training did you undergo?”</p>
<p>Sokka scratches his neck, embarrassed. “I don't really have an idea what I was doing. But I just did the normal stuff, I guess. Breathing techniques, attempting some katas, and playing around with the flame inside of me. And it didn't even really work until we started traveling and I tried to copy the stances of actual firebenders.”</p>
<p>The older man’s face becomes contemplative. “That is most interesting indeed. The training is not that different from the norm, so it had to be something different. So maybe it had to do something with the environment?” He muses before he suddenly turned pale.</p>
<p>“Wait, did you say water tribe?! How did you even survive under those conditions?! No wonder your flame and control is strong! You wouldn't have survived otherwise!”</p>
<p>Sokka is surprised by the outburst. “It can't be that bad. I mean yeah, the polar night is hard, but I have seen other firebenders at the pole, somit can't be that bad.”</p>
<p>The rapid shaking of the sage’s head seems to tell him something different. “Even a polar night! You poor child…. And no, it's not that easy. The navy can't stay at the poles for an extended amount of time. Even some days there often need multiple days for a firebender to recover.”</p>
<p>“The weak sun and cold weather drains all their inner chi, and only allows for short time stays. That is also the reason that there never has been occupation of the Water Tribes before. It's simply not possible.”</p>
<p>Thes surprise is written on Sokka's face. “Huh. I always thought that we weren't occupied because there simply aren't enough resources that there was a reason.”</p>
<p>Shyu looks like he is about to continue when they reach some kind of hatch. “I would really like to know more, but we seem to have reached the Sanctuary. They all climb up and stand in front of a giant door.</p>
<p>“Oh no! The sanctuary doors are closed!” </p>
<p>“Can't you just open them with firebending?” Asks Katara from the side. </p>
<p>Shyu shakes his head. “No. Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open the door with five simultaneous fire blasts.”</p>
<p>Sokka approaches him from the side. “But shouldn't we be able to manage that between the two of us?” </p>
<p>“How do you think that would be possible? Even if the flames would be strong enough each of us would only be able to do two!”</p>
<p>The doubt is written across Sokka’s face. “Uhm, left hand, right hand, mouth. That's three. right?”</p>
<p>“You mean to tell me you can also use a dragon breath?” The sages voice becomes an octave higher with each word, before he shakes his head. “I really don't know what to say. Let's just give it a try.” </p>
<p>The two go into position, and Sokka lets his fire grow with his breath. He feels it shine brighter, hotter with every inhale, till it glows with the searing heat of the sun.</p>
<p>“GO!” he hears Shyu  shout, and he releases the energy pent-up in his body. The fire that spews out of his body is bright, glowing so strong that Sokka can barely look at it. </p>
<p>The door begins to creak, the gears slowly turning, like it has just enough energy to work. It’s slowly opening under the force, as the firebenders feel happiness flow into their systems.</p>
<p>The celebration is short lived however as they hear voices approach from behind them. From one side he sees the rest of the Fire Sages rush to them, while the prince comes running at them from the other stairs. </p>
<p>One of the old men throws a fireball at Sokka, the warrior already clenching his teeth for the impact when the flame is blocked by a wall of water. </p>
<p>His sister releases  the rest of the liquid from her waterskin and starts to hit the other projectiles out of the air.</p>
<p>Finally the door snapps open, even if just a miniscule gap. “Go Aang, we will handle this!” She shouts.</p>
<p>The young airbender nods, propelling himself through the door and immediately Sokka drops his bending, drawing in a deep breath, gasping for air.</p>
<p>He nearly lets himself drop to the ground until a flames shoots just an inch beside his face.</p>
<p>Sokka steadies his stance, turning to the prince and sages and is about to return the attack, when a clapping halls through the room.</p>
<p>“What an impressive performance. I wish I would have been here sooner.”</p>
<p>“Zhao!” The prince growls out, and Sokka would have missed the color leaving the teen’s face if he wasn't so intently watching whim. ‘Why is he so pale? He looks afraid. Why? Aren't they on the same side?’</p>
<p>The question is answered with a resounding no as the prince tries to flee, and the admiral throws a fireball at his back. Zuko blocks it and the hall devolves into chaos.</p>
<p>The Fire sages continue their assault, now supported by the soldiers. The prince tries to flee down the stairs but is surrounded by several soldiers, who manage to overwhelm him with numbers.</p>
<p>With the prince now in chains, the siblings are the only target.</p>
<p>Sokka begins the assault with a wave of swift punches, letting many flames rain down on his opponents.</p>
<p>Some soldiers are hit, unprepared for his bending, and are thrown all the way to the wall behind them, knocking them out. </p>
<p>But the others retaliate quickly. Their flames are fast and the siblings dive out of the way, getting split by the strike. The soldiers use that moment for a simultaneous attack, creating a wave of fire aimed at Sokka.</p>
<p>But the teen acts fast. He lets his energy expend, releasing it outside his body, taking control of the fire around him. The flame swirls, compressing into the extended palm of the Watertribe boy before being released in a devastating blast, the shine almost white from heat. </p>
<p>The fire gushes through the row of soldiers, throwing them apart with the shockwave. But the boy doesn't leave them any time to react, the next flames already crackling in his palms.</p>
<p>“Stop! Or the girl will pay for it!” He hears Zhao’s voice from the other side of the room. </p>
<p>He sees his sister, her hand tied behind her back, surrounded by nearly a dozen soldiers. He grinds his teeth, extinguishing his flames as one of Zhao’s men ties his arms behind his back, before both of the siblings are chained to one of the pillars, just like the prince is one over.</p>
<p>Zhao laughs, sending a shiver down Sokka’s spine. “I have to admit, I am quite impressed. I didn't think I would meet such a talented firebender today, and especially not under these circumstances. Tell me, what are you doing with such a savage of the watertribe?”</p>
<p>Sokka stays silent, a glare on his face. He doesn't have to answer to a man like that. </p>
<p>Zhao continues unbothered. “I will make you a generous offer. We need strong soldiers for the war, and no talent should be wasted. If you swear your loyalty, I will put in a good word for you.”</p>
<p>“I would rather die than ally with such monsters as you! You pathetic excuse of a human being!”</p>
<p>A scowl spreads over the Admirals face. “Then so be it!” A flame ignites in his hand. “You should have taken the offer, you ungrateful peasant!” </p>
<p>Zhao lets the flame in his hand grow as he continues to throw insults at Sokka. But that isn't the most important thing for the warrior right now.</p>
<p>He feels it before it even happens. His head snaps to the Sanctuary door, a shudder going down his spine, his mouth dry.</p>
<p>The presence behind the gate feels ancient and powerful, dangerous, not unlike Koh. The others follow his eyes as light begins to flow out of the door.</p>
<p>“I will take care of you later.” Zhao snaps and turns to the door, his soldiers throwing a wave of fire as soon as the door opens.</p>
<p>He distantly hears Katara shout for Aang in worry, but Sokka knows better. He prepares for the blast.</p>
<p>The flames disperse, revealing Roku in all of his might, who creates a wave of glowing hot flames, pulverizing the chains that held the siblings and blasting a hole into the temple's wall.</p>
<p>The Fire Sages flee almost immediately, understanding what they are up against, the soldiers soon to follow. </p>
<p>“Avatar Roku is going to destroy this temple!“ Shyu shouts “We have to go now!” </p>
<p>“Not without Aang!” Katara answers determined.</p>
<p>Sokka sees Roku melt the solid stone floor with a single swipe of his hand, drawing up magma through the gap, melting a hole from the bottom to the top of the building.</p>
<p>Sokka feels the energy fall as the previous avatar calms the elements with a single breath, Retracting the smoke before seemingly vanishing, leaving behind Aang's falling body. </p>
<p>The sibling rush to his sides, catching him before he hits the ground. “We have got your back.” Sokka says as they drag the boy to the stairs, only to see them flooded with magma. </p>
<p>Their rescue comes in the form of Appa and Momo, flying in front of the hole in the wall.</p>
<p>Sokka is just about to jump after the other two when he hears a cry from behind him.</p>
<p>The Fire Nation prince is still chained to the pillar, both the chains around his body and the handcuffs around his arms still in place, struggling with all his might.. </p>
<p>Without thinking the warrior turns around, hurring to the abandoned teen, ignoring his sister's shouts.</p>
<p>“I don't need you pity!” The price shouts, but Sokka can see the fear on his face, his eyes flashing to the molten rock, constricted with panic.</p>
<p>“Shut up! You might be our enemy, but even then you don't deserve to be slowly burned alive! Just hold still!” Sokka shouts and breaks the chains with his flames. He grabs the prince’s still intact handcuffs and drags him to the opening, jumping onto Appa.</p>
<p>Katara looks angry but Aang seems to agree with his decision. But even she snickers at the prince’s yelp when Appa rises into the air. </p>
<p>Zuko shoots them a glare but stays weirdly quiet. Katara is the first to break the silence. “Don’t you dare try something now, or I will let you fall to the ground.” </p>
<p>The prince looks to the ground. “I won't, you saved my life, so I swear on my honor that I won’t attack you for now.”</p>
<p>“For now?” comes Katara’s answer, obviously annoyed. “Oh how generous of you.” </p>
<p>Zuko lowers his head even more, as if he was ashamed by his own words. Sokka stays quiet, but lowers a hand on his sister's shoulder, trying to calm her down. She huffs but quiets down, moving away from the prince as far as possible.</p>
<p>The prince raises his head again, and for a small moment Sokka thinks he can see gratitude in the golden eyes. “My boat is down there.” the teen says quietly, his voice is so different from usual shouting, rough but calming.</p>
<p>Aang nods, leading Appa closer to the ground. The fire prince shrieks again and Sokka can't help the smile that blooms on his face, Zuko turning bright red noticing that he has been heard. </p>
<p>The watertribe boy can only barely stop himself from smiling even more at the blush of the stony firebender. </p>
<p>The sky bison lands on the ground with a heavy thud. Sokka jumps to the ground with the prince to remove the handcuffs. He takes the chains into his hands and lets the fire flow into the metal, the rapid change of temperature making the old iron shatter.</p>
<p>The prince hangs his head low. “I wish I could properly repay you for saving my life, but I can't. From tomorrow on we are enemies again.” He says before storming onto his little boat, driving away without looking back even once.</p>
<p>Even as they rise in the air again Sokka isn't sure what to think of all he has seen of the prince today.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you like this chapter! I made some changes with the story to have more Zuko interaction. It feels really needed, considering my story doesn't include the scenes from his point of view.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Waterbending Scroll</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Gaang is thrown into danger when Katara decides to steal a waterbending scroll from pirates. And Sokka has to get used to his stronger fire.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aang is pacing around on Appa’s back for what feels like hours now, mumbling to himself and Sokka can't take it anymore. He already feels like he is about to get a fever and he doesn't need more annoyances.</p>
<p>“Would you sit down already? If we hit a bump you will fly off! What's bugging you anyway?” </p>
<p>“It’s what avatar Roku said!” Aang answers, his voice anxious. “I am supposed to master all of the elements before that comet arrives. What am I supposed to do? I haven't even started waterbending and we are still weeks away from the north pole!”</p>
<p>“Calm down!” Katara says from the side, grabbing his hand and forcing him to sit down. “It's gonna be ok. If you want, I can try and teach you some of the stuff I know.”</p>
<p>A big smile spread over Aang's face. “You would do that?”</p>
<p>Katara nods. “But we just have to find a good source of water first.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As it turns out, they do find a good place to train. Sokka can't believe the luck of his sister sometimes.</p>
<p>The waterfall rushed down the mountain, its water clear and surprisingly warm, he realizes as he is splashed from head to toe by Appa’s bellyflop.</p>
<p>But it actually feels good and he needed to wash anyway, so where is the harm. </p>
<p>Aang and Katara move to the other side of the lake for their bending, while Sokka goes through his breathing exercises in the swallow water. </p>
<p>His inner flame is in more chaos than usually, he notes. The normally small candle flame now a wild campfire, dancing in the wind.</p>
<p>He manages to calm it down after a while but it is still many times bigger than most times. Sokka isn't sure that is a good thing. He would have liked to continue, but Aang’s training has led them to a sudden need of supplies.</p>
<p>(And seriously, the boy was enough work when he could only airbend. Sokka doesn't want to think about the future.)</p>
<p>They make their way to a nearby marketplace on a harbor , leaving Appa in the woods close by, and Sokka learns immediately that they can't leave the money to Aang after he bought a nonfunctional bison whistle. </p>
<p>The firebender gives the bag with the leftover finances to his sister as he tries to lead the airbender away from yet another shady merchant.</p>
<p>But Sokka seems to have overestimated his abilities as the boy immediately runs off the second best shady person who leads them onto an equally suspicious ship. It doesn't take the young warrior long to find out they are pirates, and after Aang's frankly pathetic attempt at bartering, he leads the other two out of the ship as fast as possible.</p>
<p>Katara is much more compliant than he expected, but he tells himself that it just shows how more mature she got recently.</p>
<p>He feels himself tense when he hears one of the pirates shout after them. He turns around just to narrowly avoid a knife being thrown his way as a bunch of pirates jump from the ship.</p>
<p>“Not good! Run!” Sokka shouts and the groop make their way into the streets of the market. The pirates seem to have some experience with pursuits however, as they seem to easily keep up with them. </p>
<p>Sokka shoots a quick fireball on the ground, creating a burning wall to keep them away. As soon as the flame leaves his body, he feels his chi being disturbed, trying to take in as much energy from his surroundings as possible and making him feel like he is burning.</p>
<p>He forcefully tries to stop the flow. Slamming shut as the fire’s paths in his body shut, causing a sharp pain to flow through his chest. He stumbles for a moment, but it seems to work. </p>
<p>He keeps running until more of the pirates jump into their way, cutting off their escape.</p>
<p>The kids run into one of the side alleys, just barely avoiding a cart filled with cabbages, as Katara throws a ball of water out of a nearby barrel at the pirates.</p>
<p>Two of them manage to avoid the attack, but Aang - to the dismay of the cabbage merchant - uses his airbending to knock them out with the foot cart. </p>
<p>The teen tries to get back to Appa when more pirates jump out of an ally to block their way. </p>
<p>They still get cornered, but Aang manages to fly them out of the situation, even if Sokka can see how much that exhausts the kid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They land back at the waterfall they trained at before, Sokka slumping to the ground, clutching his stomach. A pulsing pain, radiating from his stomach every time he breathes reaches out from there, like his body is about to burst.</p>
<p>He tries to calm his breathing to get the heat and pain in his body under control, and it works surprisingly well, until his sister pulls out the waterbending scroll.</p>
<p>“You stole it!?” The firebender shouts. “Of course they were after us! Why did you do that Katara? We could have been killed!” He feels the fire swell up in him again, but right now he is too distracted to care.</p>
<p>“These are real waterbending forms! You know how crucial it is for Aang to learn waterbending! You can be such a stubborn idiot sometimes!”</p>
<p>The anger is blistering hot at this point. “I just worry about you two! Why do you never understand-!” He is interrupted as a flame shoots out of his mouth, accompanied by burning pain, hurting like his body is struck by lightning. </p>
<p>He coughs as the fire leaves his mouth, pain spreading up his throat as he falls to his knees. The heat spreads out of his skin, and he feels like he is on fire. Maybe he is. It feels like he is being burned alive, like his skin is about to burst from the fire within him.</p>
<p>The surrounding is drowned out by the pain, but somebody is shouting. He is, the Sokka realizes. From the side of his eyes he can see Katara's panicked face, tears in her eyes, as his vision fades to black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he wakes up, Sokka’s entire body feels stiff. He finds the reason for that immediately as he opens his eyes, to see his body, starting from his neck, encased in a block of solid ice.</p>
<p>Well, mostly solid, as the ice seems to melt as soon as it touches his skin.</p>
<p>“Sokka! You are awake!” comes Katara’s voice from the side. “Thank the spirits! I was so worried about you.” She says, tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>She moves closer as she does another bending move, refreezing the ice encasing Sokka.</p>
<p>“I- I’m sorry. I shouldn't have made you worry like that. I didn't know that this could happen to firebenders.” Her voice becomes quieter. “I thought I would lose you too.”</p>
<p>His throat hurts but Sokka forces himself to answer. “Don't worry sis, you won't get rid of me that easily.” It comes out weaker than he wants, but the smile on his sister's face shows it was good enough for now. </p>
<p>Sokka concentrates on his breathing, slowly calming the flame in his body. As the ice touching his body no longer melts, Katara released him from the cold. He sways for a moment, but the waterbender steadies him. </p>
<p>Sokka's eyes fall to Aang, sleeping on the ground beside them, the setting sun illuminating his tied face.</p>
<p>“He helped too, but it took quite a bit out of him.” Katara says from the side. “He used his waterbending to cool you down too, but he surprisingly still has some problem with freezing, despite how fast he picked up the rest.” </p>
<p>She leads Sokka to his sleeping bag, sitting him down on the soft fabric. “You rest for now. I don't know if something will happen again, so stay lying on there. I would definitely wake up if that thing catches fire.”</p>
<p>She sits down next to him, leaning onto a nearby rock. She doesn't look like she is actually planning to sleep, and Sokka is about to point that out, but his exhaustion gets the better of him, sending him into a deep sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka is awoken by Aang's distressed cries. “Katara! Where are you?”</p>
<p>“What's going on?” Sokka asks, crawling out of the sleeping bag. His head hurts, but he has been worse.</p>
<p>“Oh, Sokka! Thank the spirits you are better I was so worried! I have never seen something like that before. I’m so sorry I couldn't help you...” The words become quieter as the boy continues, full of guilt.</p>
<p>“But you did help. “Sokka starts. He just can't bear to see the boy sad. It surprises him how fast the kid grew on him. “Katara told me you helped cool me down.”</p>
<p>The airbender smiles before his eyes turn panicky again. “Katara! I nearly forgot! She isn't here, and the waterbending scroll is missing too!” </p>
<p>‘Oh I really hope she is just training somewhere and this hasn't anything to do with the-’ “Pirates!” Aang shouts, and Sokka definitely isn't awake enough for this.</p>
<p>He throws a small fireball at the attackers, trying to not lose the control of his inner flame. It works really well, he thinks, not feeling pain and only a miniscule disturbance in his stomach.</p>
<p>But with the small size of the flame, the pirates easily dodge, retaliating by shooting nets at the two. </p>
<p>Aang tries to blow it away, but the wind goes right through the holes, barely slowing it down. </p>
<p>Sokka evades the firs net, iron he notes, but is surprised by another attacker from behind. The metal net coils around his body, throwing him to the ground. He tries to free himself, but the pirates already surround him, chaining up his arms behind his back.</p>
<p>The men don't waste any time to drag the kids to the river where they see Katara tied to a tree. “I’m sorry Aang. This is all my fault.” She says looking down onto the ground. </p>
<p>“No Katara, it isn't.” The ever so kind monk says. </p>
<p>“Yeah, it kinda is.” Comments the old man standing beside the prince, and Sokka can't help but agree. Sokka has seen the man before. Zuko called him his uncle, if Sokka remembered right.</p>
<p>His look falls to said prince, but as soon as their eyes meet, Zuko turns away, avoiding the warrior while he speaks to the pirates, a glint of guilt on his face.</p>
<p>Sokka feels a hint of sadness at that. He knows that the prince said they would be enemies the next time they met, but still. </p>
<p>His mind jumps back to his current situation when the jerkbender offers them the waterbending scroll against the two of them. ‘They don't know who Aang is. I can work with that.’</p>
<p>And Sokka will proudly say, his plan works perfectly. </p>
<p>After only some words the Fire Nation soldiers and pirates are jumping at each other's throats, completely ignoring the three kids. Well nearly, as Sokka is confronted by one of the raiders.</p>
<p>Sokka collects a small fireball in his hand throwing it at the man. But he easily blocks Sokka’s attack with his club, advancing to the boy fast.</p>
<p>‘I hope this works…’ Sokka creates a bigger fireball, the hold on his inner energy firm, but it draws more than he expected, exploding shortly after it leaves the benders hand, throwing him and the pirate apart from each other.</p>
<p>Sokka is blasted out of the smoke and into a nearby tree, coming face to face with Zuko's uncle. </p>
<p>Sokko creates an unsteady and wild flame in his hand as the pain shoots through his body again, ready to attack the old man, only for his opponent to raise his hands in defeat.</p>
<p>Sokka’s eyes are owlishly huge. ‘Why does he give up that easily? He can't be that weak, he can't be, being related to Zuko and all. ...Waid doesn't that mean he is a prince too?! Is he trying to trick me?’</p>
<p>“I’m not trying to attack you. I promise.” The old man says. His voice is calm and soothing. Not really anything he would have expected  from anyone in Zuko's family.</p>
<p>“You can call me Iroh. It is nice to meet you. I wanted to personally thank you.” And now Sokka is confused. Why is he so polite?</p>
<p>“I think I should explain. You are the one that helped my nephew in Roku’s temple, am I right?” The man says, his vice staying calm despite the fighting men so close to them.</p>
<p>“Huh. I didn't think he would say anything about what happened. I didn't take the prince for the chatty type.” Sokka says, doubt strong in his voice.</p>
<p>Iroh lets out a warm laugh. “Oh, you are completely right with that. He didn't say anything, but I know him long enough to pick up on the little things. It would surprise you what a terrible liar he is. He always falls over his words if he tries to.”</p>
<p>And Sokka has to admit, that is a funny thought. The big bad Fire Nation prince stuttering through a bad excuse brings a smile to his face.</p>
<p>“I would ask you to not tell my nephew about this, but I tried to think of a way to repay you for saving his life. And I see you have a problem right now that I can help you with. You are practically burning.” He says looking down Sokka's charred cloth.</p>
<p>That really catches the boy’s attention. “You can help me to get my fire under control?”</p>
<p>The old man nods. “It doesn't happen often, but your situation isn't unheard of. Your flame is out of balance from the rapidly changing surrounding you have been in. Your body is used to taking in every bit of energy from your surroundings, having grown up in the icy south pole.” He explains.</p>
<p>“I have never heard of a situation as extreme as yours, but the same situation should work here. Your body will adapt itself on its own, till then you have to release all the excess energy piling up in your body, but in small amounts. Right now your fire can easily get out of control, but I am sure you realized that already.”</p>
<p>Sokka nods, a smile on his face. The solution sounds logical, even if it is surprisingly easy. Not that he complains about it.</p>
<p>Iroh returns the smile with one of his own. “If you do train it, your body will learn to adapt to the climate on its own. I can speak from experience there. As a companion of an air nomad, that will be an important skill.</p>
<p>The old man’s eyes drift to the battlefield. “It seems our time is running short. I hope we will have another talk like this in the future. Till then.” He says, giving the young fireden a small nod before heading to the other side of the field.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sokka says. He knows that the old man is supposed to be his enemy, but he has a hard time believing that right now. </p>
<p>The young firebender turns to the battlefield, just in time to see Aang and Katara hurry to the pirate ship, looking around frantically.</p>
<p>He runs to their side, letting a small flame trickle out of his body just like Iroh instructed. ‘Like letting the pressure out of a kettle.’ he muses to himself. </p>
<p>He approaches the other two from behind. “Missed someone?” He says.</p>
<p>“Sokka!” The two shout, jumping him. “Are you ok? Your flames didn't go out of control, did they?” Katara says, her worried eyes drifting to the small flame in his hand. </p>
<p>“I'm fine.” he says, picking the two of his body. “I think I have it under control now. I will explain later. For now we have to get away from here.”</p>
<p>The other two nod, and to Sokka’s uttermost happiness, they fulfill his childhood dream of stealing the pirate ship.</p>
<p>The other two use their bending to get the ship into the water, but the pirates don't take long to catch up to them, trying to recapture their ship. It isn't Sokka's fault that he doesn't know how to handle this kind of ship. It's just so different from the ones of the watertribe, Katara!</p>
<p>They do manage to fight off the first wave of pirates with relative ease, Katara even managing to use the water whip, but he thinks it's the end for him when he sees the waterfall in the distance.</p>
<p>In the end they get out of the situation thanks to Aang and Katara using their waterbending to stop the boat from falling just long enough for Appa to scoop them out of the air.</p>
<p>Seeing the ship at the bottom of the cliff he doesn't want to know what would have happened if the bison was even a moment too late. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They continue to make their way north, Sokka keeping a small but steady flame in his palm as he tells them what happened during the fight.</p>
<p>“Are you really trying to tell me that Zuko's uncle is actually a nice guy?” Katara says, the doubt heavy in her voice. “I believe it when I see it.” She huffs.</p>
<p>Aang looks unconvinced too, but he doesn't seem that opposed to the idea. Sokka might even say he looks hopeful. “Maybe there are still some people in the fire Nation like there used to be. They always were wilder, but they never used to be cruel.” The boy says, his vice sad but hopeful.</p>
<p>Sokka agrees, setting his hand on the boy's shoulder. </p>
<p>But he can't just leave the mood so depressed. Now where did he put the water scroll he picked up during the battle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The thing with Sokka was unplanned, but It just wrote itself and fits in. I hope you like it!<br/>And I think Iroh would find out easily that someone saved Zuko. He just knows his nephew too well.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Jet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Gaang meets a group of rebels, led by a teen called Jet, and Sokka really wishes that  his team would finally start to believe him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just yesterday Sokka was annoyed by Aang and Katara being all worried and careful with him, like he was made out of glass. Now he wishes that they had at least a shred of that left.</p>
<p>“Oh no, Aang we can't fly. What about Sokka’s instinct? There can’t be anything wrong with it, right?” Katara’s voice is mocking and it honestly grinds Sokka's gears.</p>
<p>“Okay listen! You know that we have to get away from the Fire Nation radar. A short while on foot should be enough to get them off our track. If our pampered babies want to fly after that they can do so if they want.”</p>
<p>“I don't like walking either, Katara. You know that really well.” Sokka continues as the waterbender mutters something that probably was ‘I wish I didn’t’. “But this is simply the best way to avoid the … Fire … Nation.”</p>
<p>The words die in his throat as he takes in all the soldiers that are sitting in the camp in front of him. “Oh you've gotta be kidding me!” </p>
<p>His sister is already drawing out the water from her bag, Aang readying his stuff when Sokka sees something move in the trees. </p>
<p>The soldiers advance to the trio, cutting off their escape with their flames, but someone jumps out of the tree, taking theri distraction as a chance to attack, knocking out their leader with a blowpipe before swinging down the tree. </p>
<p>Sokka is thankful for the support, especially one he sees more people jumping out of the trees, but now he doesn't get to use the new bending techniques he picked up. How is he supposed to get better if he doesn't get a moment to train?</p>
<p>But he manages to hold himself back. Firebending probably wouldn't make the best first impression on their supporters, and he isn't willing to take the risk, even if it worked so well with Suki. </p>
<p>He still gets in some good hits with his club, but that cocky teen with the hook-swords keeps knocking out his opponents when they are distracted by Sokka. The firebender knows he should be thankful for that, but still!</p>
<p>And then he starts flirting with his sister as soon as the battle is over! And the worst part is, that she actually seems happy about it! </p>
<p>What surprises Sokka is that Aang seems so unbothered by that. Has the kid just not realized it yet?</p>
<p>The teen introduces himself as Jet and Sokka already wants to smack that annoying grin off his face. </p>
<p>He introduces the other members of his Freedom Fighters as they raid the Fire Nation camp, not leaving behind anything of even a bit of value - Sokka can respect that - before bringing them back to their base.</p>
<p>Sokka would be happy with the temporary safety, if it wasn't for the face that he still had to follow Iroh’s advice to let out his flame in regular intervals. And the constant flirting Jet throws at his sister doesn't exactly calm his inner flame.</p>
<p>He can't exactly tell her to knock the thing of - she can decide who she likes on her own - but he really thought she had a better taste. </p>
<p>The Freedom Fighter’s base is actually really well constructed, and Sokka might have appreciated that more if Jet didn't try to humiliate him by dragging him up into the leafs with record speed by that stupid rope. </p>
<p>It wasn't his fault he let out a small shout. A very manly one he might add. The next time Jet tries something like that he will get the business end of Sokka’s club.</p>
<p>At least the guy is doing something good. People fighting against the Fire Nation is something the world evidently doesn't have enough of. He even seems to take care of younger kids, judging by the amount of children around here.</p>
<p>Still, the guy is bugging him, and not only because he is so spirit damn annoying. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the sun has set, the Freedom Fighters throw a feast with the things they stole from the Fire Nation. Jet holds a speech, and Sokka begrudgingly admits that it wasn't that bad. Still, he just takes some bites before distancing himself from the party.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Sokka tries to get the other two’s attention. “Make sure to not stay up for too long, he will have to start early tomorrow again.”</p>
<p>“What? No! We just managed to find somebody who fights against the Fire Nation like us! We should stay for a while.” Katara says, her eyes still focused on Jet.</p>
<p>“Did you forget why we are trying to do? Why we are traveling in the first place?We have more important things to do! Aang has to find a master to teach him bending!” The teen tries to reason.</p>
<p>“You are just jealous because Jet is a better warrior and leader than you!” She nearly shouts. Sokka is about to answer when he feels his inner flame flare dangerously high.</p>
<p>‘Nope. No letting you flames go out of control.’ “We will finish this later.” He tells Katara and walks away, searching for a place to cool off.</p>
<p>The firebender climbs to one of the outer branches of the tree houses, and sits down to meditate. </p>
<p>Sitting on a wide branch, he creates a small flame in his hand, hiding it in front of his body in fear of being seen. The fire grows and shrinks with Sokka’s breath, it’s heat warming the warrior's body.</p>
<p>He is about to finish when he hears someone move through the leaves behind him. Quickly extinguishing the flame, he turns around, to see Jet as he breaks through the plants.</p>
<p>“Yo. I wanted to talk to you.” He says, casually holding up his hand. “I think we started off on the wrong foot.” And Sokka can't agree more. But Jet actually sounds apologetic, so the warrior gives him a chance. “I’m going on an important mission tomorrow, and I would really like your help with it. Maybe we will get to know each other better.”</p>
<p>Sokka nods. He might not like Jet, but he can at least help them fight against the Fire Nation. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka finds himself on one of the forest's huge trees, observing the area. The mission worked out well till now, and soon he picks up a person walking through the forest. But the person turns out to only be an old man and Sokka calls that out to Jet. </p>
<p>To Sokka’s horror, that doesn't seem to bother the rebel, as he attacks the man without any remorse, throwing him to the ground and threatening him without a second thought.</p>
<p>Sokka only just manages to reach them in time to stop Jet from kicking in the old traveler’s skull. He tries to convince Jet to stop the attack, but his words fall on deaf ears, too consumed to rage to listen to reason.</p>
<p>“He is from the Fire Nation, Sokka! The people who killed your mother! You of all people should know better!” </p>
<p>He wants to shout reason into the Earth Kingdom boy, not all of them are evil, many are probably just forced into it. The face of a certain prince flashes before him as the words race through his mind.</p>
<p>But this isn't the time for a fight. ‘We have to get out of here before we get dragged into this. I have to warn the others.’ </p>
<p>At least they end up only stealing the man's money, or Sokka wouldn't have been able to hold back. </p>
<p>But oh if his day wasn't already bad enough, the other two don't believe him when Sokka tells them what happened. Even his own sister rather thinks of the words of a stranger she met yesterday for more true than his own! How can they be so stupid!? </p>
<p>They even fall for the lie with the poisoned knife! Sokka knows that that wasn't there when he beat the old man to the ground. </p>
<p>He takes a deep breath, calming his fire. If Katara and Aang won't stand on his side, he has to take things a different way. He swallows his pride, and turns to Jet.</p>
<p>“I'm so sorry. I didn't see the knife. I shouldn't have doubted you.” He says and hangs his head. The smile on Jet’s face tells him his performance worked well enough, but damn is it hard to hold back his flames with that  arrogant prick grinning like that.</p>
<p>For now he will have to find proof that Jet isn't what he seems to be. </p>
<p>“Thank you Sokka. I really need all of your help tomorrow again.” Jet says, turning to Aang and Katara. “The Fire Nation is planning to burn the forest. If you use your bending to fill up the reservoirs, we could fight the fires.” He says, sounding all emotional.</p>
<p>But Sokka isn't buying any of it. Jet is trying to pull the exact same thing he did with the knife. Now Sokka just has to find out what he is planning. </p>
<p>Jet dismisses them shortly thereafter, leaving Sokka to his own. He uses this time to try and calm down like yesterday again, so he sits down on the farthest branch of the Tree and starts meditation.</p>
<p>He controls his breathing, but waits with the flames till the settlement has gotten quieter, avoiding to be seen.</p>
<p>The wind is warm as he stares into the sunset. His inner flame is still a mess, but not nearly as much as before. Jet really knows how to get on his nerves, and Aang and Katara don't really help his situation.</p>
<p>He waits for a bit longer, keeping his ears and eyes open for anyone who could see him, but deems his situation safe.</p>
<p>That was his mistake. </p>
<p>As soon as he lights a small flame in his palm, the leaves above him rustle. He looks up, trying to evade, but Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot and two others he doesn’t recognize jump him, binding the firebender's hands behind his back.</p>
<p>He attempts to shout for Katara, but Jet gags him with a filthy piece of cloth.</p>
<p>“I knew it!” Jet hisses. “I was sure I didn't imagine the flame yesterday! You are a firebender!” </p>
<p>He grabs Sokka by his wolf tail, dragging him to the ground. “And to think I let someone like you into our base!” His blade inches closer to Sokka's throat. To close.</p>
<p>“I thought you were suspicious, but to think you are a monster just like them! I can't believe this!” Jet spits out, his voice full of hatred.</p>
<p>Sokka wants to shout that he is wrong, that he isn't part of the Fire Nation, that he would never be like them, but the words are muffled by the cloth on his mouth.</p>
<p>Luckily for Sokka, they evidently don't have much experience with taking hostages, seeing how they used a burnable rope. Considering how tight they bond him, it seems that they believe his fire is under control as long as he can’t move. So the only real problem is the blade on his throat.</p>
<p>“Take him into the forest. Then get rid of him where the others can't see him. We can’t have him interfere with the dam.” Jet tells Smellerbee.</p>
<p>‘They don't plan to get rid of me here, so I still have a chance. Being outnumbered like this is a problem. But what was this about the dam?’</p>
<p>Smellerbee thugs on his hair, pulling to one of the ropes leading down into the forest. “But don't take too long!” Jet calls after them. “I need you there when we ignite the exploding jelly.” </p>
<p>And in that moment Sokka knows why Jet wanted Aang and Katara to fill up the reservoir. ‘That bastard! I won't let him get away with this.’</p>
<p>The Freedom fighters drag him down into the forest, distancing themselves from their base, till they come to what looks like a more overgrown part of the woods, not even once taking the knife of Sokka’s throat.</p>
<p>They come to a halt, and Sokka can feel himself shaking. ‘Wait for the right moment, any moment. There has to be one.’ He thinks as he charges up the flames in his body.</p>
<p>And the moment comes. </p>
<p>Smellerbee pulls the knife back, preparing to strike. That was their mistake. Sokka releases the flames he builds up in his body and a blast of fire rushes out of him into every direction, throwing the Freedom fighters away and into the trees, knocking them out instantly.</p>
<p>The ropes around his arms and mouth burn instantly, but his cloth aren't much better, but he is alive, and  that's what is important. </p>
<p>He looks over to the other two. They have some burn wounds on their bodies, but it's nothing deadly. He didn't want to kill anybody who might only have been manipulated by Jet, like Aang and Katara.</p>
<p>His attention snaps back to the dam. The sun is already preparing to rise, and he won't reach the dam or the base in time. But if he remembers the layout of the forest right, then he should be close to the town.</p>
<p>He lets the energy of the rising sun flow through his body and runs to the direction he believes the village to be in, hands extended to his back, releasing flames to propel him forward. </p>
<p>His memory does not betray him, and he soon stands at the gates to the town, the people giving him weird looks.</p>
<p>‘Well here goes nothing!’ he tells himself.</p>
<p>“Everyone listen! A guy in the forest is manipulating a bunch of people to blow up the dam and flood the town! You have to evacuate now!”</p>
<p>The people give him some doubtful stares, before turning away and trying to ignore him. One even seems to call out to one of the guards, who starts giving him an angry stare.</p>
<p>“No! You have to believe me! Your lives are all in danger!” He shouts with no effect. He is about to set the buildings on fire to make them flee by force, when he hears a voice speak up next to him. </p>
<p>“No, I think he is telling the truth.” Sokka looks to the voice to see the old man from yesterday's mission standing not far from him.</p>
<p>The man gives the warrior a small smile before he turns to the people again. “This boy is the one I told you about. The one who helped me when I was attacked.”</p>
<p>‘Help’ is a big word compared to what he actually did, but he chooses not to comment on it even if it feels wrong. They have bigger problems right now. </p>
<p>“How do we know he isn't one of them!” A man shouts from the gathering group of people. “Yeah, how are you so sure we can trust him!” a woman calls out.</p>
<p>The old man looks offended at the question of his words, but Sokka has an idea on how to resolve this. He ignites a flame in his hand and shows it to the fire nation soldiers. The words that pass his lips feel disgusting but have to be done. “I am one of you, see?” He waves the flame around before blasting it into the air in a powerful blast that catches the attention of all the villagers. </p>
<p>The people look at it in awe before realization kicks into them. The panik between the people rises as they realize the situation they are in.</p>
<p>Thankfully one of the soldiers takes the situation in  his own hands, shouting orders and quickly leading the people out of the city. </p>
<p>Sokka sees he isn't needed anymore and begins to rush out of the city. He gives the old man his thanks before he goes. “My friends are still there. I have to get them to safety.”</p>
<p>The old man nods in understanding and gives Sokka a warm smile as the young firebender rushes to the dam.</p>
<p>Halfway to the dam he starts to worry. ‘If Aang and Katara see what Jet does at the dam, they will definitely confront him about it. We won't have enough time to get away safely. I should get Appa and our supplies from their base first.‘</p>
<p>So he slightly changes his course and falls into another sprint, his flame fueling him with energy.</p>
<p>To his relief, Appa is far more trustworthy to him than his own sister, and complies instantly when he urges him into the air. The bison flies directly to the entrance of their cabin and Sokka just throws their stuff onto the saddle before rising into the air again.</p>
<p>He just rises above the trees when he sees a gigantic tornado form next to where Sokka expects the dam to be. “Oh this definitely isn't good.” Sokka says to Appa and urges him to fly faster.</p>
<p>The bison fights on against the stormwinds, needing all of his power to push through. The winds whip into Sokka’s face, obscuring his vision. </p>
<p>When they arrive, the place is in chaos. The storm picked up earth and ice, whirling it around like projectiles. </p>
<p>Sokka leaves Appa behind, using his flames to blast a hole into the tornado. He only manages to just pass through the winds before the hole closes itself. </p>
<p>The picture he sees in front of him sends a shiver down his spine.</p>
<p>Katara has Jet frozen to what looked like it once was a tree, most of it being ripped apart by the winds that surround Aang, who seems to have entered the avatar state. Tears flow down her face as she bends the ice to creep up Jet’s body. He looks like he is trying to shout, but doesn’t have the air for it.</p>
<p>‘They are going to kill him! This has to stop!’ he thinks, taking in a deep breath.  “Aang! Katar! Stop!” He shouts over the roaring wind. For a moment he thinks they didn't hear him, but they slowly turn their heads around, hope in their eyes as they let go of their bending, Aang’s tattoos stopping to glow.</p>
<p>The storm subsides as the two run in Sokka's direction, the ice dropping Jet to the ground in a painful thud. Tears flow out of the kids eyes as they capture Sokka in a crushing hug.</p>
<p>“Sokka, you are ok?” Katara cries out, burying her head in Sokka’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“I thought …” Aang starts but his vice breaks to give place to a sob. “Jet said that he-”</p>
<p>Sokka doesn't make him finish the sentence, instead taking the young boy’s head and burying it into his chest. He gives the two the time they need to calm down, not letting go of their small bodies. “As if I would let myself be killed by a prick like him.”</p>
<p>He looks over to Jet’s crumbled body. He can see the teen breath in the puddle beside him, but honestly, he looks more dead than alive. </p>
<p>His body is littered with frostbite and small cuts, probably from the ice and wind, but Sokka can't bring himself to feel bad for the rebel. At least he won't stand up for a while.</p>
<p>As the firebender looks down the cliff, he can see the ruins of the dam. </p>
<p>“I managed to get to the village in time. The guards should have evacuated everyone.” Sokka tells the two, gesturing to a small group of people, barely visible in the woods near the village.</p>
<p>Relife flows over Katara’s face and she buries her head into his neck again, a quiet ‘Thank you’ escaping her lips.</p>
<p>His angry eyes fall to Jet gain. ‘Making them think they helped kill a village.’ His anger feels like it's about to boil out his body, but he holds the flames back. The other two are still clinging to his body after all. </p>
<p>As the grip on his body fades, he helps the two to their feet. “Come on, we have to get away from here.” </p>
<p>They nod as Appa begins to trot over, seemingly having understood the firebender. The bison positions himself next to the trio before giving them a full body lick. </p>
<p>Aang laughs at the move, rubbing the last tears out of his eyes. Even Katara has a smile on her face, as they climb into the saddle.</p>
<p>“Yip Yip.” Aang calls and Appa rises into the air. The kid's voice is still a bit too weak for Sokka’s liking, but he seems to already get better. ‘He really has a strong heart.’ Sokka’s head supplies.</p>
<p>He looks down to his sister, her grip still strong around his waist. </p>
<p>“I thought I had lost you too, just like mom.” Her voice is weak. “No, even  worse. This is all because I didn't believe you. If you- I don't know what I would have done if you really were...” The tears begin to flow again. </p>
<p>“If you had not arrived in time, I would have killed him. I would have become the same as him.” </p>
<p>Sokka moves his sister in front of him, burying her body in his as best he can, trying to make her feel safe. “But you didn't kill him, even if he would have deserved it. I know you wouldn't become like him. Have more faith in yourself.”</p>
<p>She stays silent for a while before giving a small nod. “I don't know how you forgive me so easily. You should be angry.”</p>
<p>“I am angry, but not at you.” He says. “Just promise me you don't just listen to the first good looking guy you come across again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At that, even she gives a small smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope I didn't make Sokka too OCC, but I think Jet trying to kill Sokka would be in character, considering what he did in the story. I’m sure it's pretty obvious I don't really like Jet as a person, but I really like him as a character. He really shows what the war did to people, even to children.</p>
<p>And yeah, I gave Aang an avatar moment. I think it is not unrealistic, since Jet told them he killed Sokka and just yesterday the two of them didn't believe him when he told them to go.</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope you liked it! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Storm and The Blue Spirit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka should really start to listen to Aang when it comes to areas he has no experience in. Even if this time it turned out pretty well.</p>
<p>Sokka gets caught in a storm and gets blown into some turbulent events.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To tell the truth, Sokka is worried about Aang. Tonight he jumps up from his sleep again, a shout escaping the airbender.</p>
<p>Katara is right when she says that he had a lot of nightmares lately. But Sokka doesn't know how to help the boy. He wishes he could just take away all the responsibility on the boy’s shoulders.</p>
<p>He really went through so much already. His friends and family are gone, and no one heard of any airbenders surviving, the Fire Nation is stronger than ever and now Aang has to learn all the elements before next summer. Katar goes through all she knows about waterbending every day, but that has its limits. They really need to go to the North Pole fast.</p>
<p>Soon after the sun rises they make their way to a market. </p>
<p>Sokka already went through his training, and feels like his inner flame has finally adapted to the climate. From now on he just has to take care to never in his life let it ever go that bad again. Yikes.</p>
<p>The only thing that should bother him is the fact that he hasn't seen any new bending techniques recently.</p>
<p>They fly to the nearest market town to get more food, only to realize that they are out of money. And even if Katara only meant it as a joke, getting a job might actually be a good idea. The guy who he gets one from seems like an ass, but it's good and fast money.</p>
<p>Aang is worried there is a storm, but the sky doesn't show any sign of it, so Sokka chooses to ignore the boy's worry.</p>
<p>Just some minutes on sea and the firebender wishes he listened to the airbender. What did he even think?! Who should know better about storms than an airbender?</p>
<p>“We have to turn around before it gets even worse!” Sokka shouts to the fisherman. “If this continues we will sink to the bottom of the ocean!”</p>
<p>“I’m trying! But the wind is too strong! It draws us out into the open sea. I’m already doing everything I can!” The man shouts over the winds.</p>
<p>“We have to try! The boat wont hold much longer!” As if to answer Sokka’s claim, lightning strikes into a high wave near the small vessel. </p>
<p>They try to fight on against the storm, but soon the two of them are exhausted. It feels like the boat beginning to break apart under their feet as the storm winds whip into their faces.</p>
<p>Another lightning strike illuminates the sky, before crashing down into the roaring sea. But before it strikes into the water, its trajectory changes like it bounced off something. </p>
<p>Only now, in the fading light of the strike, Sokka sees the huge vessel that is fighting against the storm not far from them.</p>
<p>‘Our way out!’ Sokka tries to create a flame to get the ship's attention, but the fire is snuffed out immediately by the heavy rain and cold winds. </p>
<p>‘There has to be something I can do! I just have to make the flame stronger!’</p>
<p>He extends his hand to the sky, letting his inner flame heat up, more and more, till it feels like a raging sun is trapped inside his body, the rain evaporating as soon as it touches his skin. Then in one focus blast, he lets it release from his hand.</p>
<p>A bright ball of flame rises into the sky, not unlike the signal flare Aang triggered at the ruined Fire Nation ship back at home. </p>
<p>But immediately Sokka loses sight of the other ship, the waves towering up before crashing into the little fishing boat. The firebender clinging to the boat's mast as the waves hit, holding on for dear life.</p>
<p>To his relief the boat survives the impact, and he gasps for air as soon as the wave rolls over them. But the mast didn't seem to have managed that well, as it falls to the side with a loud crash, only just avoiding Sokka and the fisherman.</p>
<p>The firebender thinks it's over for him when another shadow falls over the small boat, but when he looks up, he sees a ship right beside them, throwing down a rope for them to grab on.</p>
<p>As if on command the boat under them begins to crack dangerously, so the two grab onto the rope, climbing up as fast as they can. It is wet and slippery from the rain, but Sokka holds onto it with everything he has, its fiber biting into the firebenders hands.</p>
<p>The water splashes into the boy’s face, and he feels like he is going to suffocate, but he keeps climbing. Through blurry eyes he can see a hand reaching out to him, and he grabs it with all of his might.</p>
<p>Sokka feels himself being pulled up, his feet finally touching solid ground.</p>
<p>As soon as he is on the safe floor of the ship, the exhaustion catches up to him, collapsing into the person still holding his arm. The man - he realizes - stiffens under his touch, but Sokka has to catch his breath for a moment before he is able to look up.</p>
<p>What he didn’t expect when he looks up are the golden eyes staring down at him, full of shock and confusion.</p>
<p>“Uhm, hey?” he says to the Fire Nation prince, who is still holding him awkwardly, before Zuko lets go of Sokka, the prince’s face red and his eyes jumping around in a nervous fashion.</p>
<p>Another lightning strike falls out of the Sky, right onto the boat, but with stars in his eyes Sokka sees Iroh bend the electricity, letting it flow through his body and redirecting it into the sea.</p>
<p>“Your uncle is amazing!” Sokka says to the prince, and receives a small smile in return, before Zuko snaps his face away from the boy. </p>
<p>The older boy turns his attention to the crew. “Now full power into the eye of the storm! We can rest once we reach it! The firebenders into the engine room, we need as much power in the burners as we can!”</p>
<p>The men seem to fall into action without a complaint, Sokka looking around confused. His eyes fall to a group of men he is pretty sure he has seen firebending before, and decides to follow them. ‘If they need firebenders, I can help.’</p>
<p>Sokka follows the group into the engine room, deep into the back of the ship. He would really like to know more about the intricate design of the machinery, but the men are shouting orders already, making the mechanics open the burner, giving the firebenders better access.</p>
<p>The heat flows into the room and the crew releases their flames into the coal engine. Sokka wastes no time in taking the same position as them, adding his flaes to theirs.</p>
<p>His flames easily overpower the others, creating an inferno of fire, feeling as hot as the sun. It is surprisingly soon that Sokka feels the waves subside, and another crew member opens the door to tell them to stop.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out an exhausted sigh, a small tongue of flames escaping his mouth when his eyes meet that of the man standing right in front of him.</p>
<p>The man lets out an undignified shriek as he spots Sokka and all eyes in the room fall onto the boy.</p>
<p>“Who the hell… Wait. Aren't you the avatar’s…?” Sokka doesn't let them finish as he runs back out of the room and up onto the ship’s deck. </p>
<p>But just before he manages to get out of the ship's hallways he is pulled through one of the  doors, before it's shut behind him with a heavy slam. He is about to attack when he comes face to face with Iroh.</p>
<p>“I didn't expect to see you again in this way.” The old man says. “But I am happy you are doing well. I see you managed to get you flames under control?”</p>
<p>Sokka drops out of his stance and nods. “Yeah. It worked out pretty well. Thank you. My bending feels even stronger than before.” </p>
<p>Sokka is about to ask him how he was able to control lightning, when a shout is heard from outside the room. “The avatar is here! Prepare for combat!”</p>
<p>“Sadly, it looks like our time is cut short yet again. It seems this conversation will have to wait for later. Now go, the avatar is waiting!” Iroh says and opens the door.</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a short bow before running out of the door and onto the deck, to see Katara stop a bunch of fireballs with a wall of water.</p>
<p>“Sokka! Jump on!” She shouts as she begins to move to the bison as well. Sokka wastes no time and sprints through the row of Fire Nation soldiers, jumping onto Appa as he rises into the sky.</p>
<p>As they fly away his eyes fall on the prince, his golden eyes shining in the gray of the storm.</p>
<p>It’s only later that he realizes that he never thanked Zuko for saving his life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>______________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Sokka wakes up the next morning, he knows he won't be able to move by midday. He was ill often enough as a child to know what the weakness in his limbs and the pressure in his head meant for him.</p>
<p>When he tells Katara she is close to falling into a panik. “What are we supposed to do?! We don't have any medicine, or even a real bed! Even at home you often only barely managed to pull through.”</p>
<p>“You don't have to worry that much.” Sokka tries to use a calming voice. It comes out more rough than he wants to. “In this warm area, I should have less problems than a home. Firebender, remember?” </p>
<p>He creates a small flame in his hand, and the worry in Katara’s face lessens a bit. “...But I definitely won't complain about some medicine.”</p>
<p>They decide to send Aang out to get some help from a nearby doktor he heard the fisherman talk about. That seems to have been the right decision as Katara has begun to cough during the planning as well, and now they both lie against Appa, the heat pooling of their bodies.</p>
<p>In Sokka's case it's like the air around him is boiling, but Aang tells him that it's supposed to be like that for a firebender.</p>
<p>The young warrior doesn't notice Aang leave, his eyes already closed from exhaustion. He tries to calm his breathing and is soon drifting in and out of consciousness before falling into a deep slumber.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sleep feels wild, yet safe. Like a fire spreading over the land, but the flames are kind, not destructive. </p>
<p>He dreams of a red forest, of dancing with the flames. Of an ancient presence, unknown yet familiar, dangerous yet safe, and sometimes it feels so real he almost thinks he is really there</p>
<p>He feels the flames play on his body, jumping on his arms as they relish in his warmth. The old one circling him with watchful eyes, saying it is amused by his action, in here and out there.</p>
<p>When he wakes, it feels like his memories are dripping away, flowing through his hands, no matter how much he tries to grasp at it, leaving behind only a faint shimmer of a place he now visited for the second time.</p>
<p>Consciousness comes to him slowly. The first thing he notices is that his mouth feels cold, and he would have really liked it that was all that was interesting there.</p>
<p>He's gonna have a bunch of questions when Aang wakes up, but for now he lets the kid sleep. He looks exhausted, and if Sokka looks at the sun in the sky, he is pretty sure that the airbenders trip didn't go as well</p>
<p>And no matter what Katara says, there is definitely something disgusting on the thing on the back of his throat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This turned out shorter than I wanted, but oh well.<br/>I thought about changing ‘the blue spirit’ but all I tried just didn't feel right, so it turned out like this. I’m not that happy with the result but the rest was worse. And ‘the blue spirit’ is even one of my favorite episodes of the first season!</p>
<p>But this setup should be better for some of the things I have planned.</p>
<p>I hope you liked it anyway!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Fortuneteller</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka can’t help but be annoyed at Katara and Aang. He knows they are still kids, but this fortune teller is obviously a hoax. Well, at least it doesn't seem like anyone is in danger ... yet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka has no problem with Aang trying his best to impress Katara, but if that causes him to use Sokka’s fishing line just to make her a new necklace, that is a different story.</p>
<p>The warrior is stumbling around in the murky water of the river, trying to catch the fish with his spear, when the frustration gets the better of him. ‘There has to be a better way to do this! Katara can use her bending for fishing, so it's worth a try.’</p>
<p>He walks back to the shore, and goes into a solid stance. He targets the place where he can see the shadow of the fish scurry under the water, and releases a strong fireball.</p>
<p>The water sizzles, a cloud of steam rising from the hit, but the shadow just moves to the side, too deep to be affected by the heat or impact, before jumping out of the water again just to taunt Sokka even more.</p>
<p>“Oh you just wait. I will soooo enjoy eating you.” He mumbles to himself, ignoring the concerned stare Katara gives him.</p>
<p>He searches his mind for what he could do, letting his thoughts wander. He remembers how Iroh bent the lightning, bringing the storm's roar under his control. But he has no idea how to do it, and even if he had an idea how to replicate it, the whole situation seems a bit dangerous to do without a teacher.</p>
<p>He continues, searching for something that could survive the water as his mind falls to the time he tried to get the attention of what he knows was Zuko’s ship during the storm.</p>
<p>Solid water is a lot more harmful to a flame than heavy rain, but it is the best he comes up with at the moment.</p>
<p>He extends his hand to the lake, and lets his flame grow with each of his deep breaths. He lets the heat flow into his hand compressing the flames as strongly as he can, and releases ir in one burst. </p>
<p>The glowing flame ball flies to the river, but it is too fast and loses its controlled form, drifting to the side to miss the fish by a good distance. But that is the least of Sokka's worries as the momne the orb hits the surface of the water it explodes into a fountain of steam, throwing back the firebender by a good distance. </p>
<p>His ears ring as he sits up, looking to the cloud hovering over the river as he holds his hurting back, inspecting the crater this steam explosion has created on the opposing rock wall.</p>
<p>“Sokka! What in the spirit's name was that?!” Katara shouts from behind him. He can barely hear her over the ringing in his ears, but when he turns around he has a grin on his face.</p>
<p>“Did you see that?!” Her face says ‘obviously’ but the firebender continues unbothered. “That was so cool! Well, cool is probably the exact opposite of  what the flame was.” He laughs to himself. “But I never knew I could do that! Hey Aang! Did you know firebenders could do that?”</p>
<p>Aang shakes his head, looking both as shocked and amazed as Sokka. “I never heard of that. Granted, I don't know what happened the last hundred years, but I definitely haven't ever seen that.”</p>
<p>‘I really have to test that more. But right now it’s probably a bit too dangerous.’ Sokka thinks, inspecting a cut on his arm, not knowing if it's from a shrapnel or the rocky ground.</p>
<p>Their musing is cut short when they hear a platypus bear’s roar on the forest's edge, just behind their resting place.</p>
<p>Aang jumps up a rock before rushing to the man the beast attacks, trying to help the traveler. Sokka arrives not short after, calling out advice to the man too. </p>
<p>But to the firebender's confusion and amazement, the man seems to be completely unbothered by the wild animal, dodging out of its attack with casual ease.</p>
<p>After a particularly close miss Aang jumps in front of the man, trying to calm the animal down. It doesn't seem like it is going to be effective, but thankfully Appa scares the bear away easily.</p>
<p>It even leaves behind an egg! Sokka feels like he has nothing to complain about. That sentiment changes fast once the man opens his mouth, claiming he was okay because of some fortune telling from some Aunt Wu.</p>
<p>And why doesn't the man realize that it is a complete hoax?! His journey was as far from safe as could be! </p>
<p>And now Aang and Katara want to go and visit her because some rainshower happens to come down at the right moment. It had been obvious the whole day that it would rain! Everybody could have known that.</p>
<p>But he doesn't really have a choice but to follow them. At least he has the egg as a snack on the way, he thinks, starting to boil it with his hands. Now It just needs to stop raining, it doesn't look like it will last long.</p>
<p>“Do we really have to go to that village? We obviously have better things to do. Like reaching the north pole remember?” He tells the others.</p>
<p>But they seem to be unbothered by his words. “Well, it can be bad to know what the future holds for you.” his sister says.</p>
<p>“Well this is obviously a hoax. Look! I will predict the future too! I will continue raining!”</p>
<p>Of course the rain has to stop at that exact moment. He grumbles as he trots behind the group as they laugh at him, letting his flames dry his cloth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It doesn't take long for them to reach the village. They make a show of expecting them as soon as they reach Aunt Wu’s house. But Sokka is buying none of it. Of course they would recognize the umbrella still in Aang’s hands. He can't believe the other two are falling for this trick. </p>
<p>This is Jet all over again! Maybe they would think about it more if he mentions that to the two, but the things that happened on that day are still a dark spot in their memory, so he holds back for now.</p>
<p>Sokka falls into one of the pillows as soon as they enter, letting Katara go first. It’s not like he wants to be here anyway. And he is keeping his mind open, Katara, he just isn't an idiot. At least the food is good. </p>
<p>Aunt Wu looks less like a scammer than the picture Sokka’s mind supplied him, but he of all people should know best that appearances can be deceiving, firebender and all.</p>
<p>Aang takes a toilet break soon after Katara leaves with the so-called fortune teller, though he isn't gone long. But judging from the kids' faces nobody should enter that bathroom for the next hour.</p>
<p>At the end Aunt Wu doesn't even try to read Sokka’s future, just dismissing him to say he will have a future full of struggle. At least she seems smart enough to not waste time on someone she knows is too smart to trick. But he can't help but be a bit disappointed.</p>
<p>They just exit the building when Aunt Wu walks to the village center to make some kind of big prediction, and from the clouds of all things! Sokka can't believe she has this whole place in her hand.</p>
<p>Sokka was about to ignore the whole thing till the people mentioned the volcano, the fortune teller saying confidently that it won't erupt for another year. That draws the firebender's attention to the mountain behind the village. </p>
<p>Its rising high into the sky, its tip seeming to reach into the clouds. But something is wrong. Sokka concentrates, tuning out the villagers who are walking back to their home in happy ignorance to focus on the heat coming from the structure.</p>
<p>It’s hot, radiating so much energy, and Sokka is sure that it’s not nearly as dormant as Aunt Wu thinks it is.</p>
<p>When Sokka opens the eyes he sees the worried eyes of Aang and Katara staring at him.</p>
<p>“I think Aunt Wu is wrong. The volcano is going to erupt. We have to warn the villagers.” </p>
<p>Katara lets out an annoyed groan. “Sokka, we know you don't like her, but that doesn't mean you have to be so bitter about it, even if she told you your future is going to be difficult.” She says, an annoyed frown on her face as she crosses her arms.</p>
<p>“No! This isn't about that! I just feel that the volcano has far too much energy to be dormant!” Sokka tries, but the other two seem to be unbothered by his words.</p>
<p>‘I really didn't want to do this, but it looks like there is no other choice. It’s for their own safety.’ Sokka thinks to himself with guilt. “Do you want this to end like the last time you didn't believe me?”</p>
<p>The reaction is immediate. A small flinch goes through Katara, her shoulders becoming stiff. The events with Jet are still fresh on her mind. Sokka feels really bad to do this, but it was the only idea he had. “Can we at least take a short track up the mountain to take a look?”</p>
<p>Katara nods immediately, no word leaving her lips. </p>
<p>“I will go.” Aang says, his voice quiet, and jumps into the air, wasting no time to fly to the mountain using his glider. </p>
<p>The siblings stay in their places, no word being exchanged between them as they wait for Aang's return. After a time that feels like hours but was probably some minutes at most, Sokka sees Aang approach from the distance.</p>
<p>The panic in the boy's face is enough to prove Sokka's fears. </p>
<p>“It’s really bad!” The boy near shouts. “The magma is about to spill! We don't have much time!”</p>
<p>Sokka nods to the airbender. “Ok. You try to gather the villagers, I will try to convince Aunt Wu. If I’m not back in like 5 minutes I will probably need you support to convince her.”</p>
<p>The other two nod, running into the village. Sokka makes his way into the fortune tellers home, knocking frantically onto her door.</p>
<p>She opens it pretty much instantly,  but her face falls flat as soon as she sees Sokka. “You again.” </p>
<p>“Yes me again. But this isn't about any of that. You have to warn the villagers. The volcano is about to erupt! The people will listen to you, and we don't have much time!” </p>
<p>She doesn't look convinced, to say the least. Sokka can understand that sentiment, considering his open displeasure to her before. “No! You have to believe me! Or at least send someone up there to look!” He near shouts as the old woman still has her eyes on him, sharp as if in deep concentration.</p>
<p>Suddenly her expression changes instantly, flying through faces of recognition, worry and ending in determination. “Very well. I will inform the village.” She says and walks out of the front door, surprising Sokka with the sudden change.</p>
<p>She looks around the village before raising his voice. “Everyone liste! I had a worrying prediction right now! There is a rapid shift in the future going on, and I am afraid of the consequences it will have on the volcano. We have to prepare for a possible eruption right away.”</p>
<p>Her words bring the entire village in motion, Aang and Sokka taking up the position of leaders, gathering the villagers to build a trench around the settlement.</p>
<p>The people are convinced surprisingly easily and start to work, creating a wide and deep trench all around the village. They just finished when Sokka felt the heat radiating from the volcano rise, swelling like it is about to burst.</p>
<p>“Everyone! Take cover!” He shouts and the villagers run out of the trench, just in time as an earthquake hits them, the magma beginning to spill down the mountain.</p>
<p>The volcano covers the night sky in an ominous red glow as the ash begins to fall. I don't take long till the flood of molten rock swallows the village gate and starts filling up the trench. </p>
<p>But it fills faster than the trench can handle. </p>
<p>“It's too much! It’s gonna overflow!” Katara says as another eruption rocks the earth. </p>
<p>Huge chunks of rock fly into the waves of lava as the moat continues to fill up.</p>
<p>‘It won’t hold much longer! There has to be something I can do! Magma is basically earth and fire, right?’ </p>
<p>He doesn't have long to think about as a giant boulder crashes into the lake of molten rock. He feels Aang beside him rise into the air, creating a powerful wave of air, blocking the lava from flowing further.</p>
<p>Aang takes a deep breath and Sokka sees his chance. ‘I can't do anything against the rocks, but if I can take the heat away, it will be more than enough.’</p>
<p>He extends his hands to the heat, gripping it with all of his might, and throws it up into the sky, out of the rock in the form of a giant flame. </p>
<p>He sees the rock cool down, but it doesn't seem  enough until Aang releases another blast of wind, cooling the rock down to create a wall protecting the village.</p>
<p>They both end their work by releasing a steady breath, before they look at each other as Aang throws Sokka a bright smile that the firebender can't help but return.</p>
<p>As the lava stops spilling out of the crater, they make their way back into the village, informing the villagers of their safety. Aang gets all the attention again, being the avatar and all. Granted, he did the most work after all. And this time Sokka isn't even bothered by it. There is something he has to find out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He soon finds himself in Aunt Wu’s house again, the fortune teller sitting on a table beside the entrance.</p>
<p>“Why did you believe me so suddenly?” Sokka asks. The question has been flowing around his head the whole time. It just didn't make sense to him.</p>
<p>Aunt Wu takes a sip from her tea before gently placing it down on the table again. </p>
<p>“Even if you don't believe in the art of fortune telling, there are still some things even you will agree with.” She starts.</p>
<p>“Knowing the person you are interacting with is one of the most important abilities to have. When you ran into my house, you didn't look like you were lying. The panic seemed real, but I ‘healed’ ,” she makes air quotes with her hand, “so many illnesses that I know how much a person's mind can cause to itself.”</p>
<p>“But when a firebender walks in here, with seemingly no intention to harm me and says he thinks a volcano is about to erupt, then I will rather believe what the expert says.”</p>
<p>Sokka’s shoulders drop. “I mean you aren't the first person to find out I am a firebender, but am I really that obvious?” To his annoyance the fortuneteller gives him a small chuckle.</p>
<p>“Well, it is my job after all. Well, part of it. I obviously can't predict what kind of fruit you have to eat tomorrow, but the energies around a person tell more about them than you would think. And aren't you traveling with the avatar? You of all people should know what the spirits can do. How far off is it for a person to be able to predict the future now and then?”</p>
<p>And yeah, Sokka can't help but agree with that. He has seen some spirits with his own eyes after all, even if the memories are still foggy.</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh. “Please at least don't tell my sister absurd things. She would probably believe that she will turn into a platypus bear if you told her.” He asks, and they both share a small laugh. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry. I just gave her some small motivations. A bit more confidence is rarely bad. And she looked like she needed it.” She says, and Sokka nods in agreement.</p>
<p>In the end, Sokka thinks as Appa rises into the sky, she wasn't as bad as Sokka believed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The more I write from Sokka’s point of view the more I realize how much shit he got from Aang and Katara. So many things would have been far easier if they just listened to him for once.<br/>And I didn't realize until I finished reading this chapter, this is the second time the avatar fights a volcano with a firebender, just this time the result is much better.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Bato of the Water Tribe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Gaang meets Bato, and Sokka is confronted with the secret he isn't ready to tell.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is searching around for some firewood when he hears Aang call out his name. “Sokka! Look at this! A sword made from a whale's tooth!”</p>
<p>Sokka takes it from the airbender's hands and inspects the weapon. “I know this carving and cut. This is from the southern water tribe!” He tells the boy. He himself has made one of them for his dad when he was younger.</p>
<p>“See if you can find anything else.” He tells Aang as Katara arrives. It doesn't take long till Sokka finds a trail. It is in a bad condition, so probably old, but they follow it anyway, till they reach the coast. </p>
<p>But it ends as it meets the water. There are nor hints for him to find in the sand. He is about to give up when Katara points to the far end of the beach. “Look over there!”</p>
<p>“That's one of our boats!” Sokka calls and runs to the vessel. </p>
<p>“Is this dad’s boat?” Katara asks from beside him.</p>
<p>“No. But it’s from his fleet.” Sokka tells her. He knows the markings, and he has the feeling that he should really know who this boat belongs to, but it has been many years since the warriors have left the village. </p>
<p>He misses them all. He can't wait to see them all again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>__________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now that Sokka had time to think about it, he definitely isn't ready to see them again.</p>
<p>The group decided to wait around the ship till the owner came back, and the teen had a long time to think while he held watch next to the boat.</p>
<p>None of the warriors know that he is a firebender, and the time away fighting against the Fire Nation won't really make this easier for Sokka. The teen knows he should tell them, has to tell them, but he is terrified how they will react.</p>
<p>‘What if they don’t want me around anymore? What will dad think? What will he do when he finds out that I am not even … not even his real son.’ </p>
<p>Sokka remembers his mother's words, that his father would never hate him, but he can't help the fear rising up in him, his throat clogging up.</p>
<p>‘I know none of the women in the village hate me for it, but the warriors fought again and got hurt by firebenders... Some probably even died from their hands…’ Sokka stares into the flames of their small campfire, keeping his breath steady, trying to calm his mind. </p>
<p>‘They won’t let me take over the position of chief, right? They would never let me do that.  Maybe they won't let me be a warrior anymore. Will they throw me out of the village?’</p>
<p>He takes his head into his hands, taking in a deep breath.</p>
<p>‘Should I just never tell any of them? Maybe I can convince the women in the village to keep the secret? Katara would go with it, right?’</p>
<p>The rustling bushes in the distance catch the firebender's attention. </p>
<p>“Who is there!” He shouts as he jumps up, getting ready to fight. He keeps his eyes steady on the person that approaches from the woods till their face is illuminated by the campfire.</p>
<p>“Sokka?” The man asks as he sees the teens face. </p>
<p>“Bato!” Sokka calls, dropping his guard as he envelopes the warrior in a hug. It doesn't take long till he feels Katara beside him.</p>
<p>“It is so good to see you two. You have grown so much!” He says as he holds them in a tight embrace.</p>
<p>“Is dad here?” Katara asks and Sokka feels kinda bad how relieved he is when Bato says that he isn't. Bato tells them that Hakoda is with the other warriors, having let him behind so Bato could recover from his injuries.</p>
<p>Sokka doesn't need to see the wound to know it is a burn, the smell and colour of the ointment seeping through the bandages. The firebender hopes it doesn't scar. (He knows it will. It always does.)</p>
<p>Bato leads them back to the abbey he is staying at, and introduces them to the sisters working there. The air there is sweet from the perfume, the smell of flowers, something he could have never known at the south pole.</p>
<p>That gives him an idea. “Maybe we could dump some of the perfume on Appa, because he stinks so much. Am I right?” He tries to joke.</p>
<p>The eyes of Bato and Katara show the suffering of having to endure this kind of joke for years. The man lets out a groan. “You have your father's wit.”</p>
<p>Sokka feels the body constrict at the words, eyes drifting to the ground. ‘I have to tell him.’ He looks around. No one seems to have noticed him acting weird. ‘Later, when we are alone.’</p>
<p>The room Bato stays in looks like home. Smells like home. There is everything, the pelts, the small fire and even a soup of sea prunes! </p>
<p>Sokka sits down on a particular warm looking fur and lets himself relax, even if Aang doesn't seem to share the same enthusiasm. Maybe Sokka should feel offended by Aang’s blatend scorn of their hunting culture, but that is a problem for later.</p>
<p>The firebender lets himself drift off into Batos calming voice as he tells the siblings about his adventures with their father when they were young. He was always close to the family, especially after mom's death, never leaving them alone in their grief.</p>
<p>“There is something I have to tell you kids. I’m expecting a message from your father. It should arrive any day now. He said he would as soon as they found a rendezvous point. If you wait here until the message arrives, you can come with me to see your father again.”</p>
<p>“It’s been over two years since we have seen dad!” Katara starts. “I really miss him. It would be great to see dad.” </p>
<p>And Sokka thinks so too. He misses him dearly, and some time with his dad might help him to tell his secret, but now is not the time.</p>
<p>The firebender smiles sadly and shakes his head. “It would be great, but we can’t. We have to take Aang to the north pole first.” </p>
<p>“Yeah. Even if we would wait for the massage, who knows how far we would have to travel?” Katara agrees.</p>
<p>“I am sure your father would understand and be proud of his children helping the avatar.” Bato says, sympathy in his eyes.</p>
<p>‘Well, we can't exactly let him travel alone. He can't even read a map!’ Sokka thinks and turns around to the airbender, only to find his place empty. </p>
<p>“I will go out to get some fresh air.” The firebender says, stepping out of the room to go looking for the airbender.</p>
<p>The monastery seems empty, so he follows the road back to the beach as he hears the cry of an ostrich-horse in the distance. </p>
<p>He reaches the boat just in time to see an Earth Kingdom soldier ride into the distance.</p>
<p>The firebender’s eyes reach the beach under the strong light of the moon, illuminating the white piece of parchment in the avatar’s hands.</p>
<p>‘A map.’ he realizes, just barely able to see it from this distance. ‘That means this is probably the message Bato was talking about.’</p>
<p>The firebender was just about to step out of the woods when he sees Aang crumple up the parchment and shove it into his cloth as he turns his eyes to the ocean again.</p>
<p>‘Is he … Why did he do that?!’ Sokka only just managed to not say his thoughts out loud, deciding to stay hidden for now. ‘Why would Aang …? He wouldn't do that without reason.’ The firebender thinks, his anger shifting into confusion and after a moment, to hurt. </p>
<p>‘He doesn't want us to go.’ Sokka’s heart feels like it's about to break at the thought. ‘He doesn't have anyone else. Well, except Appa. But to think that he would go this far.’</p>
<p>But the firebender feels with the boy, knows that he himself would do the same. He knows the fear of being left behind by the people you care about.</p>
<p>He slowly walks onto the beach, just loud enough to get the airbender's attention. The boy flinches when he spots Sokka, averting his eyes from the older.</p>
<p>“Sokka! What, ah, what are you doing here.” He says, the guild and nervousness prominent in his voice.</p>
<p>“I was looking for you. You just stood up and disappeared. I was starting to get worried. Is everything ok?”</p>
<p>“Yes! Everything is okay! Why wouldn't it be!?” Aang near shouts, his voice far higher than normal. He jumps down from the ship and fakes a shiver running down his back. “Oh it’s really cold out here! We should go back!” He says with obviously faked happiness, and swiftly walks up the pass to the village.</p>
<p>‘As if you are cold. You wore the same cloth when we were still at the south pole! I should really ask him how he does that later.’ Sokka catches up to the boy and sets his warm hand on the avatar's shoulder.</p>
<p>“You can tell me when you have a problem okay? We are a family, remember?” He tries to keep his voice soft as he speaks. ‘Come on Aang! I know how much you hate lying!’</p>
<p>Something shifts in the boy’s eyes but he shakes his head. “Nope! No problems! Let’s just go back to the others.” and walks off.</p>
<p>Sokka looks at the airbender's back as he puts distance between the two, ‘Should I just confront him? … No, then he will just keep things in the future to himself again. Bato will have to wait a day more. I’m sure he won't be mad about it.’</p>
<p>He follows the kid up into the abbey, entering Batos room again. </p>
<p>Aang acts as if nothing is wrong - Or at least tries to. He isn't that good of an actor. - but  Sokka knows better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day Sokka wakes up tired after an unrestful sleep. He has tried to think of ways to help Aang, make sure he knows he can talk to him, but he didn't come up without a good solution.</p>
<p>Bato leads the three to his boat on the beach, telling them about the story of his boat’s scars. But Sokka’s attention is on Aang, so he doesn't miss the avatar erasing the ostrich-horse’s footprints. </p>
<p>“What about you Sokka?” Bato addresses the firebender, oblivious to the avatar’s actions. “What are your stories from your first time ice dodging?”</p>
<p>Sokka's eyes drift to the ground. “I never got to. Dad left before I was old enough.”</p>
<p>“Oh … I forgot. You were too young.” The man’s voice sounds apologetic. </p>
<p>But Sokka can't help but be irritated ‘Ha. Not old enough to ice dodge, but apparently old enough to provide for a village practically on my own. We would have never made it if we clung to the stupid tradition of men being the hunters.’</p>
<p>“You know what?” Bato lays a hand on Sokka’s shoulder, distracting the boy from his thoughts. “You are about to experience ice dodging for yourself.” </p>
<p>The firebender can't help the grin that spread over his face.</p>
<p>_________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ice dodging went surprisingly well, in Sokka’s opinion. He only managed to pick up a bit before the warriors left, so most of it is self taught.</p>
<p>They anchor back onto the beach they started on and Bato proceeds to paint the mark of the wise on Sokka’s forehead. The teen couldn't help the wide grin that spreads over his face. He feels like a true warrior.</p>
<p>“It’s the same mark you father earned.” Bato continues. And yeah, that hurt. ‘I still have to tell him. It's now or never.’ He digs his fingernails into his hands, and pinches shut his eyes. “Bato, I have to tell-.” he starts but is interrupted by Aang’s louder voice.</p>
<p>“I can't take the mark. I’m sorry. You can't trust me.” says and takes out the crumbled map. “A messenger told me to give this to Bato.” He says as Katara takes the paper out of his hand to inspect it.</p>
<p>“You have to understand. I was afraid you would-” </p>
<p>“This is the map to our father!” Katar interrupts him.”You had it the whole time?! How could you-” Katara shouts but is stopped by Sokka dropping his hand on his sister’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Why did you do that, Aang.” Sokka says, keeping his voice calm and steady, but internally he is cheering. ‘I knew Aang would tell the truth eventually. Now I just have to not mess this up.’</p>
<p>“I … I was just so afraid you would leave me behind. And when you were talking about going to your dad, I just …” He drifts off as tears begin to pool in his eyes.</p>
<p>The firebender takes the boy into his arms, catching him in a tight hug. </p>
<p>“We told you that we are family now, didn't we?” Sokka says as Katara joins the hug. “We won't leave you behind. We never planned to and never will. And you would have heard that too if you didn't go out of the room before we even finished talking.”</p>
<p>He feels Aang nod into his chest, small shudders going through his small body as he tries to suppress the tears.</p>
<p>Sokka pats the airbender’s back soothingly, doing his best to calm him down. It doesn't take long till he feels the boy move, turning his head up to give Sokka a warm smile, despite the tears that still are in his eyes.</p>
<p>Aang leaves the two and turns to Bato, holding out the map to the man. “I’m so sorry. I was just so afraid. Is there anything I can do so you will forgive me?”</p>
<p>The warrior lets his hand fall on the avatar’s shoulder, making the boy stiffen. “I forgive you.” He says, his voice calm and gentle. “I can't really be angry at you for something I might have done myself. I think we all know the fear of losing one's family.” </p>
<p>The man takes the map from Aang's hands, inspecting it as they make their way back up the hill to the abbey and help Bato pack his essentials. </p>
<p>“Looks like this is goodbye for now.” Sokka says to the warrior as they fall into a hug. “Dad will have to wait a bit longer.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he would be proud of you.” Bato tells the siblings. “We will surely meet again soon. Here, take the map if you find the time to meet us. I know how to get there.” He says and walks out of the gate, waving goodbye to the trio till he is out of view.</p>
<p>“We should be going too.” Katara tells the others. “I will get our bags, you two can-'' She is interrupted when a big animal comes crashing through the gate, giving out a battlecry.</p>
<p>“There you are, avatar!” Comes a very familiar voice from the back of the beast. </p>
<p>The prince wastes no time jumping off the Shirshu’s back, throwing fireballs before he even hits the ground. </p>
<p>Sokka moves them to the side, circling them around his body before returning them to the attackers. The black haired woman moves the animal out of the way, jumping onto the wall next to them while the animal attacks with its tongue. </p>
<p>Katara barely manages to throw up a small ice wall from her waterskin to block the attack.</p>
<p>“So this is your girlfriend.” the black haired woman addresses Zuko. “No wonder she left. She is way too pretty for you.” </p>
<p>“Shut up June!” the prince shouts, his face turning red. </p>
<p>Sokka can't help but scoff. Katara seems to be content with Jet and Zuko looks far prettier than the rebel. With his fair skin, pretty eyes, broad shoulders and his deep rough voice.</p>
<p>‘Wait! He is our enemy! Fight, Sokka! Get yourself together!’ Sokka shakes his head and throws his fists forward, shooting a big fireball onto June.</p>
<p>The woman evades again, her Shirshu lashing out with its tongue. Katara creates another ice wall, stopping the attack, but the beast rushes forward, breaking through their protection.</p>
<p>Just in time Appa rams into the beast's side right before it hits the siblings, sending it crashing into a wall. </p>
<p>An explosion catches Sokka's attention, and he sees Aang and Zuko slam into opposite roofs. </p>
<p>He suddenly hears a shift behind him and calls up his flames, but before he can react he is hit by the Shirshu and collapses onto the ground.</p>
<p>‘Poison?! I can't move a limp! My whole body is numb!’ He looks to the side and sees that his sister is under the same fate. </p>
<p>Luckily two of the abbey’s sisters come to their help and drag them out of the battlefield, placing them against the wall. </p>
<p>Sokka’s eyes fall to Iroh, who is standing on the other side of the courtyard, sneaking a bottle of perfume into his sleeve. But he makes no move to join the battle. </p>
<p>‘Why isn't he doing anything? Does he even want to capture Aang? Or is he just that sure that they will win?’ Sokka looks to the side just in time to see Aang throw the prince into a nearby wall, Zuko falling to his knees before he stands up again, wincing in pain.</p>
<p>‘No, that doesn't seem to be it.’ Sokka thinks as he feels the strench enter his limbs again. </p>
<p>“Katara, How much longer till you can move again?” The firebender asks his sister.</p>
<p>“Just a moment.” She says as she balls her fist.</p>
<p>“Good. I have a plan. Listen...” He explains as his eyes drift to the battlefield, studying the close combat between Aang and Zuko as they fight on top of a well.</p>
<p>The siblings manage to stand up thanks to some extremely bad smelling medicine the sisters held under their noses. Just as Appa collapses to the ground and set the plan into action. </p>
<p>Katara calls up the perfume from two of the nearby pots, raising the liquid into the air. Then Sokka shoots a glowing hot flame into the liquid making it scatter and evaporate, filling the whole courtyard with the strong smelling fog.</p>
<p>The Shirshu reacts instantly, violently lashing out to all sides and hitting Zuko and June with its tongue, making them collapse from the poison. Then the animal runs out of the abbey in panic.</p>
<p>The warrior returns his attention to their motionless enemies, surprised to see Iroh on the ground with them. ‘Wait, I didn't see him getting hit.’</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a dubious look and the old man returns a sly grin. The teen can barely suppress his laughter. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They rise into the air as soon as Appa recovered from the poison, flying through the clouds in the orange glow of the setting sun. Sokka relaxes in the last rays of the day.</p>
<p>He contemplates telling Aang that he knew about the map the whole time, but decides against it. Everything worked out fine, and Katara even got their mothers necklace back, so better not risk messing it up. </p>
<p>The teen relaxes into the saddle as his eyes drift shut after the tiring day.</p>
<p>It's only now that Sokka realizes that he forgot to tell Bato about his bending.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope it's not too frustrating to know that Bato still doesn't know. Don't worry! I have something planned! But it will take a while!<br/>I decided to skip the ice/rock dodging scene because it wouldn't change from canon, and I am sure we all know it well enough.<br/>I just really like the idea of Sokka helping Aang open up about his doubts and problems while not being able to do the same himself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Deserter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang meets Jeong Jeong, a well known deserter of the Fire Nation, and Sokka might have finally found a master to teach him firebending.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka already knows this isn't going to end well. He wants to see bending in action more than the others! But why a Fire Nation festival?!</p>
<p>They have to stay low, and Aang doesn't even have a disguise! And they just saw a wanted poster for the boy. (But Sokka is a bit disappointed that there was none for him. He at least deserves some recognition, right?)</p>
<p>In the end Sokka gives in under the reasoning that Aang needs to better understand firebending in the future, so this would be the perfect time to start. Sokka might be a firebender himself, but he never got any form of formal training, so he isn't of much help there.</p>
<p>The festival turned out to be fun, at least. They luckily got some masks at the town entrance and Sokka wastes no time in searching for the food stalls. And these fire flakes are amazing! “Why can't we have this at home Katara? They are so good!” He says and holds the food under Katara's nose. </p>
<p>Or at least where he expects the nose to be. It’s a bit hard to find out with the mask. </p>
<p>“Well if you are sure.” She says, the doubt clear in her voice. But she takes some and puts them into her mouth, only to spit them out immediately. “How can you eat these?!” she shouts out as she rubs her tough. </p>
<p>“I swear, firebenders are so weird!” she mutters and stomps into the crowd.</p>
<p>After a frankly disturbing puppet show ‘No wonder they all grow up to be crazy! You can't show that to kids!’ the trio reaches a stage.</p>
<p>A young firebender is circling multiple flames around his body, using them to do magic tricks, like using it as cover to make birds appear.’</p>
<p>‘He seems to be really good at bending. I really thought they would pull all good firebenders to the front to help in the war. Is he on vacation? … Do they even get vacations?’</p>
<p>“I gotta learn that trick!” Aang exclaims from beside Sokka. </p>
<p>The teen lets his hand fall onto the boy's shoulder. “I would like to too, but you know we can't attract attention.” The younger turns to him and despite the mask Sokka is sure he is pouting. </p>
<p>“For my next trick I'll need a volunteer! How about you little lady!” The performer asks as he points to Katara. </p>
<p>“Great. We should have stayed further in the back.” The warrior grumbles silently. “Katara. You have to act with this, or the people will get suspicious.” </p>
<p>She nods and lets herself get dragged onto the stage, but her brother doesn't miss the stiffness in her shoulders. </p>
<p>“The next trick is called ‘Taming the Dragon’! You will be my captured princess!” The man announces to Katara. </p>
<p>Sokka can't help but giggle. His sister as a captured princess? He can't even imagine her in that position. </p>
<p>She would kick and scream, and break out on her own eventually. Sokka can still remember the when he tried to lock her into her room when they were still kids and she just waterbend the wall into his face.</p>
<p>The performer bends the flames of the nearby torches into the form of a dragon, circling it around Katara with great control, twisting the flame into a vortex when it nears Katara to prevent even a spark hitting Katara.</p>
<p>‘He must have trained this for ages. I never thought of moving flames like that. It looks like a whirl! Maybe I could do that too.’ </p>
<p>But Sokka is so enamored with the bending, he's not realizing how Aang beside him gets more and more agitated. The airbender jumps in front of a really close looking flame and blows it away with a strong gust, scattering it into a bunch of confetti.</p>
<p>‘That one wouldn't have hit her in the slightest! That guy had everything under control!’</p>
<p>But the damage is already done and the whole crowd is staring at them. Or more specifically booing at Aang, who somehow managed to lose his mask in the whole ordeal. </p>
<p>“Hey! That kid is the avatar!” One of the watchers finally realizes. </p>
<p>That catches the attention of the guards and they come running to the trio. </p>
<p>“We have to get out of here!” Sokka shouts and creates a small flame, cutting open the cloth that binds Katara to the chair, even if he is sure she would be able to free herself. It was just for the show after all.</p>
<p>“Follow me!” Sokka suddenly hears a man behind him call, getting the group's attention. “I can get you out of here.” </p>
<p>Sokka doesn't trust him at all, but with the shouts of the guards closing in he takes it for the better choice. He throws up a wall of glowing flames at the edge of the stage, stopping the pursuers for a moment as the kids run into the alley.</p>
<p>The man leads them over the marketplace, getting closer to the edge of the village, when another troop of guard starts to chase after them.</p>
<p>“I’m calling Appa!” Aang shouts and blows into the whistle, and Sokka can only hope the bison can hear it from this distance. But the soldiers are slowly advancing towards them, so even if Appa heard them, it will be close.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his flames gather in his palm and turns around, releasing a blast that covers the entire width of the valley. To his frustration the blast is blocked by three firebenders in the guard, blocking the attack with their own flames.</p>
<p>“This way!” The man shouts, only to lead them directly in front of more guards. ‘How many of them are in this city?!’ Sokka shouts in his head, readying his flames, but the hooded man throws a smoke bomb at them, stopping them in their tracks.</p>
<p>They take the next best way, but soon are blocked in by a firework cart blocking the exit of the passageway. The soldiers waste no time blocking them in, and the trio is about to attack when Appa descends from the sky.</p>
<p>The giant animal lowers himself in front to them, blowing away the enemies with a powerful wind from his tail. </p>
<p>“Thanks buddy!” Aang calls out as the three plus the mysterious helper climb on and escape into the sky. </p>
<p>The man throws a last explosive into the cart filled with fireworks, covering their escape with smoke and sound as they fly away from the village.</p>
<p>He introduces himself as Chey, an ex Fire Nation soldier who deserted the army after seeing the crimes it commits.</p>
<p>They land in a safe distance from the festival, setting up a small campfire as Chey tells them his story.</p>
<p>“I serve a man-“ He starts. “More than a man really. He’s a myth! But he is real. A living legend. Jeong Jeong the deserter.” </p>
<p>Sokka gets slightly annoyed when the man keeps getting stuck on Jeong Jeong’s rank, but he is happy to hear that there are some people inside the Fire Nation who resist its tyrannical regime. </p>
<p>‘If there is one, there are more. Maybe we could try to make the people overthrow the Fire Lord from the inside.’ Sokka muses. </p>
<p>Chey continues to gush over the admiral as Sokka lets his thoughts drift. ‘If this Jeong Jeong is half as good at bending as Chey says, we could try to convince him to be Aang’s teacher. I don't know if we ever find another living firebending master who isn't on the side of the Fire Nation. Even if he sounds a bit crazy. … But that could also just be because of Chey.’</p>
<p>He is about to voice this thought - even if Aang’s eyes look like he already came to the same conclusion - when he hears a rattling behind him. He shouts up and turns around, a flame already shining in his hand, but the tip of a spear already rests against his throat. </p>
<p>“Don't move.” One of the attackers tells Sokka. The firebender manages to keep the sarcastic comment to himself as he inspects the men. ‘They don't look like they belong to the guards, or any official Fire Nation group even.’</p>
<p>Their clothes look almost tribal to Sokka, and the weapons are simple like the one he used at home. </p>
<p>One of the attackers turns to Chey. “Jeong Jeong told you not to look for the avatar!” The man barks in a frustrated voice. </p>
<p>“Hold on, you know these guys?” Sokka asks. Now that he looks at it, their clothes seem really similar.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah.” Chey starts. “Lin Ye’s an old buddy! Right Lin Ye?” He asks one of the guards. Judging from the response the man doesn't exactly share that opinion, as he points his weapon at the deserter again. </p>
<p>“Shut up. Keep moving.” The man - Lin Ye as Sokka now knows - says in an annoyed voice and continues to lead them forward.</p>
<p>‘We really had to meet the most idiotic person to betray the Fire Nation and live, didn’t we? If this guy manages to survive being a deserter, it can't be that difficult. Except he has as much luck as he is dumb.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They soon reach a camp hidden in the depth of the forest, on the bank of a gently flowing river.</p>
<p>“Go in.” Lin Ye tells Chey. “He sees you only.” </p>
<p>“Wait, is that where Jeong Jeong is? I need to talk to him right away!” Aang says enthusiastically, walking to the tent only to be stopped by Lin Ye’s spear.</p>
<p>“No. You wait here.” the man tells the three. Sokka can't help but be a bit worried for Chey, even if the man seems so sure tha Jeong Jeong wont hurt him.</p>
<p>They are led to a tent not far from the others. Sokka drops to the floor as the exhaustion kicks in. The sun has already set and he feels his eyes slipping shut. He decides to wait for Chey’s return, just barely keeping himself awake. His dependency on the sun has always annoyed him.</p>
<p>The firebender lets his thoughts drift. ‘Is this Jeong Jeong really such a talented bender? I never heard of him. … Granted I don't really know anyone from the Fire Nation and they wouldn't exactly openly speak about a good firebender who's successfully betrayed them and still lives.’</p>
<p>A rustling near the entrance catches his attention, and he sits up as a groan escapes his mouth. Chey enters as Sokka is still blinking the sleepiness out of his eyes.</p>
<p>As soon as the man enters the tent, he drops to the ground, his sadness clear to Sokka. “He doesn't want to see you. He is very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately.”</p>
<p>“What? Why won't he see me?” Aang asks. “He might be the only chance to ever get a firebending teacher! For both of us!” the boy gestures to Sokka. </p>
<p>“He told me you are not ready.” Chey tells them. “He says you haven't mastered waterbending and earthbending yet.”</p>
<p>“Wait. How does he know that.” Aang asks. </p>
<p>“You remember when Bumi found out about my bending immediately, right? It's probably something like that. After all, Jeong Jeong is supposed to be a bending master too.” Sokka tells the airbender.</p>
<p>“Well, I am going in anyway.” the avatar declares and starts walking out of the tent. “This might be my only chance, and I won't throw it away.”</p>
<p>Sokka watches the airbender's back as he leaves the tent. He thinks about following the boy, but decides against it. ‘This is something he has to do for himself. I can try tomorrow.’ </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The firebender lets himself drift into a light slumber. It takes long enough for Aang to return that Sokka actually started to get worried. </p>
<p>To his relief the boy comes back with a broad grin over his face.</p>
<p>“So, how did it go?” asks Sokka, but he is pretty sure he already knows the answer.</p>
<p>“It went great!” Aang says enthusiastically. “Well, at the start he didn't want to, telling me I wasn't ready yet. But in the end I managed to convince him! Even if I’m not sure how...” the boy drifts off sounding slightly award.</p>
<p>“Well, then it seems it's my turn.” Sokka tells the others while standing up. “You two try to get some rest. Especially you Aang. Firebending can be quite exhausting.”</p>
<p>“Good luck!” comes the voice from behind his back as he exits the tent.</p>
<p>The path to Jeong Jeong’s housing is sparsely lit, probably to avoid being found by the army. </p>
<p>The way doesn't take long, but by the time Sokka reaches the tent doubt has settled in his mind, his hands hesitating to push aside the cloth covering the entrance.</p>
<p>‘If he really is such a good bender, should he really be teaching me? He probably has better things to do than teach a random water tribe boy. Besides, Aang is far more important right now, so it's probably better if he doesn't have to divide his attention.’</p>
<p>The watertribe boy is about to turn away when a voice sounds out of the tent.</p>
<p>“Does everyone want to disturb me tonight?” Comes the gruff complaint from the other side of the tent. “Come in. I don’t have the whole night.”</p>
<p>Sokka pushes away the curtain and steps inside. His eyes quickly adapt to the missing moonlight and focus on the candles on the other side of the room, circling the other firebender. </p>
<p>Sokka sits down as he inspects the flames swell and shrink with the breath of the other firebender.</p>
<p>The warrior watches how the changing slowly lessens until it completely stops and Jeong Jeong turns to him.</p>
<p>“Well, at least you seem to have some manners.” He grumbles. “What do you want from me? I already said I will teach the avatar.” the firebender says as he looks up to Sokka. </p>
<p>The moment they meet each other's eyes he can see the realization and shock in Jeong Jeong’s eyes.</p>
<p>‘What is it with these old people? I can't be that obvious, right? And Bumi said I shouldn't have to worry about being found out that easily.’ he grumbles internally.</p>
<p>“I see.” The man says, his voice full of guilt and regret. “You are one cursed by the sins of the Fire Nation as well. I will do my best to make for the sins of my nation, that is what I set out to do. I am already going to teach the avatar, so one more student shouldn't be a problem.”</p>
<p>“But I am not as good as Aang. I will just slow you down. You probably have better things to do than waste time on me.”</p>
<p>Jeong Jeong seems to be contemplative for a moment before he continues. “Let me be the judge of that. The training will start tomorrow at sunrise, so go to sleep. I won't tolerate any of my students being late.”</p>
<p>Sokka smiles as he bows his head. “Thank you master!” He tells the older man and hurries out of the tent back to the other two.</p>
<p>The other two seem to already be in a deep slumber, so he slips into his sleeping bag falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next morning Jeong Jeong throws Aang and Sokka out of the bed as soon as the sun peaks over the horizon. Sokka is okay with it, considering he wakes with the sun anyway, but the loudly yawning Aang beside him doesn't seem to have it that easy.</p>
<p>“We will start with the basics.” Jeong Jeong tells them.</p>
<p>Aang and Sokka stand on some stones on the edge of the river. In the distance he can hear the flowing of Katara’s waterbending training, in safe distance but not out of reach.</p>
<p>“Like for all styles of bending, the stance is of utmost importance. Now try to imitate me.”  He says and goes into position.</p>
<p>Sokka does his best to copy the older man, bending his knees, pushing them wide apart and keeping his back straight.</p>
<p>“Aang, widen your stance.” Jeong Jeong says. Sokka hears a small rustling beside him. </p>
<p>“Wider!” the bending master says again. “Bend your knees! Now, concentrate.” And Sokka follows the command, trying to get a feel for the position as he basks in the energy of the sun.</p>
<p>“Good.” Jeong Jeong says and walks to the side of them.</p>
<p>“Wait, what do I do now?” Aang near shouts, breaking Sokka out of his concentration. </p>
<p>“Silence!” Jeong Jeong tells them. “Talking is not concentrating. Try to learn something from your friend. Do you hear them talking while they train? They both know how to concentrate on what they are doing.” The man gestures to Sokka and Katara.</p>
<p>“But what am I concentrating on?”  Aang asks.</p>
<p>“Why don't you concentrate on the same thing your friend is concentrating on? Feel the heat of the sun. Let it flow through your body. It is the greatest source of fire, the center of all firebending, yet it is in complete balance with nature.”</p>
<p>Sokka turns his head around to look up at the sun as it climbs up the sky. The rays dye the sky in a gentle orange light, making the young firebender feel warm inside.</p>
<p>‘Fire in balance with nature. That sounds really nice.’</p>
<p>“So when do I get to make some fire?” Aang asks impatiently. </p>
<p>“Silence!” Jeong Jeong shouts and leaves the two alone. Sokka can't help but snicker at the boy’s annoyed antics. </p>
<p>‘But didn't he already master airbending? The training has to be really different. Well, I guess I will ask him later. Jeong Jeong has given me a chance and I won’t waste it.’ Sokka lets himself drift back into concentration.</p>
<p>The stance is starting to strain on his muscles, not used to holding this kind of position for so long. He takes controlled breaths as he lets his inner flame follow the rhythm.</p>
<p>It flows into his limbs, warming his strained muscles, fueling them with energy again, and Sokka feels the burden on them lessen. It’s almost as if the flame sprouted under the gentle glow of the rising sun, growing into a field of burning flowers.</p>
<p>“Very good. Let the flame flow through your body, let it sync to the beat of your heart.” The voice of Jeong Jeong is close, but somehow feels so incredibly far away. Sokka didn't even hear him approach but does his best to follow the advice.</p>
<p>His fire follows his push, almost jumping at his command. It  grows, shining like a sun hotter and hotter with every beat of his heart as it reaches into every bit of his body.</p>
<p>“Now let it settle. Make it slowly let it settle down till it turns back into calm, resting ambers.”</p>
<p>The fire dies down as soon as Sokka wills it to, the shine turns back into a gentle glow, but the feeling of warmth and energy still lingers in his body as he opens his eyes.</p>
<p>“Well done.” Jeong Jeong says, Sokka only just realized that the man is standing right in front of him. For a short moment Sokka thinks he can see a small smile on the stoic firebender's face, but he writes it off as his imagination.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the next exercise Jeong Jeong leads the two up a mountain. The dark stone is warm from the combined energy of the sun and hot climate in the Fire Nation. </p>
<p>“Are we going up here so we don't burn anything with our fire blasts?” Aang asks as they trek up the steep path. </p>
<p>“No fire yet.” Jeong Jeong simply says, coming to a halt as they reach the summit.</p>
<p>Sokka can hear an ‘Oh man.’ come from Aang behind him as he takes in the fresh air, looking over the endless, bright green forest. During his travels with the airbender he started to really </p>
<p>“Power in firebending comes from the breath.” Jeong Jeong explains. “That is why you must master proper breath control.”</p>
<p>And yeah, that is something even Sokka knew. Even without a proper teacher he found out that his breath could manipulate his inner flame. And it ended up saving his ass so many times when he was close to freezing.</p>
<p>Aang just gives the man a perplexed look. “You brought us up here to breathe? We could have done that on the ground!” </p>
<p>Sokka stares at the avatar in disbelief. ‘He is an airbender. He of all people should feel how different the air is up here.’</p>
<p>But the firebender doesn't get a moment to voice his thoughts as their teacher tells them to get in their stance. </p>
<p>Sokka follows Jeong Jeong’s instructions, feeling how his flame changes according to the rhythm, almost like a sleepy heartbeat.</p>
<p>Soon the firebender feels the heat of his flames rise. His blood soaks up the energy, making it feel like liquid light, molten metal maybe. No, it feels too gentle to call it that, too familiar, but he has no other way to describe it.</p>
<p>Soon he can feel the heat dancing over his heat. Maybe there are even flames moving around his body, but he doesn't dare open his eyes, fearing to lose the gentle control he has over this restless energy.</p>
<p>But somehow it is like he has felt this before, even if he knows that it shouldn't be possible. He doesn't think he has even linked that strongly, reached this deep into himself. </p>
<p>It makes him feel like his small sun, as if there was a drop of sunrise flowing through his body.</p>
<p>He continues to control his breathing, guiding the energy in a gentle flow. And slowly, so slowly, he feels the energy calm down, gathering in his veins and lungs, molding into something that feels like pure, raw energy.</p>
<p>Bit by bit Sokka lets his eyes open, taking in his surroundings. Small flames dance over his arms, almost playfully. </p>
<p>As he sees the flames fly around his body, his mind drifts back to the events about two weeks ago. </p>
<p>The time he was in the spirit world is still a bit foggy for Sokka, but with time he remembers it more and more. The way his fires fly around his arms makes him think of the wisps he met there. </p>
<p>At that time his fire felt so … pure, powerful. He tries to remember every small bit of these moments. The feel of the wisps flames, the feeling of the sun shining on his skin, the feeling of the sun shining in his body.</p>
<p>And the flame responds. His body heats up, and the next time he exhales a glowing hot flame escapes his mouth. It is strong, too strong. He feels how his skin stings under the glistering heat, the sweat that flows out of his skin evaporation instantly.</p>
<p>He quickly lets go of the feeling, letting himself slip out of the trance.</p>
<p>‘Not a good idea yet. How did I manage that when I was in the spirit world? I wish I would remember it better.’</p>
<p>Only now, as he looks around, does he realize that he is alone. Aang and Jeong Jeong seem to have left him alone.</p>
<p>‘Well, master Jeong Jeong leaving is understandable, but I don't think that Aang should be missing. Did he just give up? I didn't think he had that little patience.’ </p>
<p>Sokka is about to get into position again when he hears steps behind his back. The firebender turns around to see Jeong Jeong walk up from the path to the camp.</p>
<p>“Well, at least one of you follows my lessons. You did well. Now let us get down here and start using actual flames, even if I fear the avatar might not be ready for it yet. I don't think we will have much time left.” the man says and makes his way down the slope again.</p>
<p>Sokka can't help but grin at Jeong Jeong's approval as he follows him. The stoic man doesn't seem like the person who gives it out easily.</p>
<p>He doesn't notice the man’s eyes drifting to the rocks Sokka stood on, melted and rehardened into wave like patterns without the water tribe boy’s knowledge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the two reach the camp Aang is impatiently hopping up and down on a rock beside the river.</p>
<p>“There you are! We can finally start! Now we can finally learn how to firebend.”</p>
<p>Sokka was about to tell him that they already started, but Jeong Jeong beats him to it. </p>
<p>“The basics are equally important as the techniques. You should have learned that already.” The older man says with a sigh.</p>
<p>He catches two falling leaves out of the air, ‘Without even looking!’ Sokka thinks in amazement, and creates a small simmering spot in the middle.</p>
<p>“Concentrate on the fire.” The man tells them as he hands over the leaves. “Try to stop this flame from reaching the edges without extinguishing it for as long as you can.”</p>
<p>Aang gives out a groan, but like Sokka, he goes into the stance anyway, only to be interrupted by a man approaching from the side.</p>
<p>“Master! There is trouble!” The man says anxiously as he runs up to Jeong Jeong.</p>
<p>“Whats going on?” Aang asks immediately, the leaf in his hand forgotten.</p>
<p>“Concentrate on your training.” The firebending master tells them and runs after the guard. </p>
<p>“This is the worst firebending instruction ever. All he does is leave us alone for hours to concentrate or breath.” Aang tells Katara in an annoyed voice.</p>
<p>“I am sure there is a reason.” The waterbender tells him, but it sounds more like a question than an answer. “What do you think Sokka?” She asks, turning to her brother.</p>
<p>“Well I am sure it would help with learning if you actually did what master Jeong Jeong told us to do. I think he is a good teacher. And wasn't the whole teaching thing your idea?” Sokka tells them, his mind is still focused on the leaf in his hand.</p>
<p>“But I’m ready for so much more!” Aang tries to convince them. Then he looks down onto the leaf in his hands and a glint appears in his eyes that Sokka definitely doesn't like.</p>
<p>The young airbender goes into the firebending stance, taking in a deep breath and exhaling just like Jeong Jeong told them to. ‘Now you can use it. I just wish he wouldn't do it to dismiss Jeong Jeong’s warnings.’</p>
<p>Before Sokka can voice his worry the leaf in the airbender’s hands burst into a flame, floating in his palm. ”I did it! I made fire!”</p>
<p>“That is really impressive Aang but I think you should take this a little bit slower. Fire can be really dangerous.” Sokka tries to tell the avatar as he distances himself from the fire wielding boy to stand on the edge of the pond, beside his sister.</p>
<p>Aang tries to make a dismissive hand gesture, accidentally makes the flames swell rapidly, before he barely manages to shrink it down again.</p>
<p>“Careful!” Katar tells Aang, but the boy is too caught up into the flame to listen to her. “Now that's firebending.” He says, mostly to himself and shoots a blast of fire into the air.</p>
<p>“Aang, you have to take this slower or you are going to hurt yourself!” Sokka shouts to the avatar. He himself had gotten some burns when he tried to make fire at first, and that was when his flames were still weak from being at the south pole.</p>
<p>The avatar continues to play around with the flames, musing to himself about the firebending he saw at the festival. He changes his position and Sokka can already feel the heat radiating from the boy's hands.</p>
<p>“Aang! Stop!” He shouts, but is ignored. The boy continues with the movement, creating a ring of glowing hot fire around himself, rapidly expanding in all directions, flying into the direction of the siblings.</p>
<p>The time slows down for Sokka as he hears his sisters scream beside him. He takes her hand, trying to cover her body as he attempts to stop the flames, but he is too slow.</p>
<p>He gives out a shout as the flames liks over his back, instantly seeping through his cloth and turning the fiber to ash. His cry is joined by his sister, one of her hands getting caught up in the boiling flames.</p>
<p>“Katara! Sokka! I’m sorry!” The boy shouts as he runs over to them. “I didn’t … I don't know why ..!” He tries to put his hands on the siblings shoulders but Katara flinches away and runs into the forest, clutching her burned hand.</p>
<p>Sokka bearly realizes what's happening around him, clenching his teeth to stop another scream escaping his body as the pain radiates from his back, flowing along his spine into the rest of his body.. </p>
<p>“I’m so sorry! I didn't want to hurt you! I should have listened!” Aang tells him, his voice full of guilt, regret and panic.</p>
<p>“Yes! Yes you should have!” Sokka shouts, as he fights himself up to stand on his unsteady legs. “But you never do! I always try to keep you safe, but when it comes down to it, you always ignore me! It's the same as with Jet! Someday you will get all of us killed!” he continues, the pain breaking down all his control.</p>
<p>The kid flinches away, never having heard Sokka sound so angry. </p>
<p>But Sokka doesn't notice it over the pain and anger burning in his body, probably not only figuratively, if the orange glow and heat is anything to go by.</p>
<p>He turns around to the forest to go after Katara without giving Aang even a second look. “I will go take care of my sister.” He manages to get out between his clenched teeth as he walks into the forest. </p>
<p>Sokka follows the path through the woods, the burns still biting into his back. His vision is foggy but he soon reaches the edge of a river. His sister is sitting there, her hands dipped into the water.</p>
<p>“Katara.” He calls to her, trying to get her attention. She turns around instantly and runs to her brother. </p>
<p>“Sokka! Are you ok?” She asks, her voice dripping with worry. “I'm sorry I ran away, I just …” She drifts off as her eyes drift to Sokka's burned cloth.</p>
<p>“Oh spirits! Sit down, that looks really bad!” She tells him as she moves to his back, inspecting the burn.</p>
<p>“I will survive.” He tells her, but she doesn't seem so convinced. “More importantly, what about your hands?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah, they are ok! I don't know how, but they just healed as soon as I cooled them in the water.” She told him.</p>
<p>“That is because you have healing powers.” A voice comes from behind them. They turn around to see Jeong Jeong walk to their side. “The great benders of the water tribe sometimes have this ability.” He tells them.</p>
<p>The firebending master gestures something to Katara, and she seems to understand as she nods and bends a small sphere of water out of the river. </p>
<p>“Lower it gently to the burn and let your energy flow through the water.” Jeong Jeong tells her. It only takes a moment till Sokka feels the cold water taught his sensitive skin.</p>
<p>He flinches at the tough but he feels the pain fade as gentle splashing and blue light fills the silence. When she lets go of the water the pain is reduced to a light string.</p>
<p>“Well done.” Jeong Jeong tells Katara and a small smile spreads over her face. </p>
<p>“...I always wished I was blessed like you.” The firebending master starts after a moment. “Free from this destructive force.” the man tells Katara.</p>
<p>“But you are a great master. You have powers I will never know.” She tells him.</p>
<p>He shakes his head. “Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk on a razor’s edge between humanity and savagery.”</p>
<p>“... But that isn't true.” Sokka starts. “Fire might be more dangerous, but even it can help. A warm fire in the middle of a cold winter, a light guiding you in a dark night. Fire is important to this world too.”</p>
<p>Jeong Jeong’s eyes seem to soften at the words, his gaze shifting up into the sun. “... Perhaps there might be some truth in your words.”</p>
<p>The moment is interrupted by multiple fireballs getting shot into their direction. </p>
<p>Jeong Jeong doesn't hesitate to jump up, blocking the flames with his own, not even a spark reaching the three.</p>
<p>They see the attackers drive up to them in boats, Fire Nation ones,of course. ‘What did I expect? But how did they find us? Did they track us all the way from the festival?’</p>
<p>“Go get your friend and flee!” Jeong Jeong tells them. “Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed!”</p>
<p>The firebending master takes a position Sokka has never seen before, wide, powerful movements causing the energy to build up, before being released in one powerful but controlled wave. The fire spreads over the water, creating a wall of blazing flames, stopping the boats in their track.</p>
<p>“Katara, you go find Aang and ready Appa! I will help maser hold them off.” Sokka calls to his sister as she runs back into the forest.</p>
<p>“And I thought you were the student that actually listened to me.” Jeong Jeong says with a sigh, but Sokka can see the miniscule smile that flies over his face.</p>
<p>They are interrupted by Zhao shifting through the wall of fire. </p>
<p>“Ah, what do we have here? My old master and the firebending watertribe boy. Truly a collection of the biggest insults of the glorious Fire Nation.” The admiral says, his voice full of fake pity.</p>
<p>‘Wait, Zhao was Jeong Jeong’s student? No wonder he didn't want to train someone again.’</p>
<p>“And look at you. You were one so great man. I can't believe my former master has become nothing more than a savage.” Zhao says as his men exit the boats.</p>
<p>“It is you who has embraced savagery, Zhao.”</p>
<p>“It’s admiral Zhao now.” He says with a grin on his face. “Men! Take them!” Zhao shouts as he throws a fireball at the two. The duo dodges easily but is split up in the process. </p>
<p>The men try to rush Jeong Jeong, closing in from all sides but the man creates a wall of fire around himself, using it as a cover to flee into the forest. The soldiers waste no time trying to follow him, but Sokka knows that they won't find a hair of his teacher.</p>
<p>Now Sokka can focus on Zhao alone.</p>
<p>“Let's find out what my old master has taught you.” The admiral tells sokka as he goes into position, throwing a sphere of fire at the water tribe boy.</p>
<p>Sokka counters it with a blast of his own, pushing his enemies attack into the sky where it dissipates on its own.</p>
<p>‘Certainly strong, but his control is as bad as his temper.‘</p>
<p>Zhao continues his assault with another straight attack, but Sokka circles the flame around his body, making it spin like Jeong Jeong did and propels it back to his enemy with a higher speed. </p>
<p>The admiral only barely manages to avoid, but he is so focused at Sokka that he doesn't even realize that the attack hit his own ship.</p>
<p>Sokka can't help but grin as a plan forms in his head. “Wait, is that all you can do? I expected a bit more from an admiral.” Sokka taunts the man as he did a casual stride to the side, positioning himself closer to the ships.</p>
<p>“I was just warming up!” came a shout from his attacker as he threw out another wave of attacks. But Sokka is prepared, taking control of the flames, redirecting them to the boats while adding his own energy to it, creating a massive wave of flames without even exhausting himself.</p>
<p>“Well, that should be enough.” The watertribe boy tells the admiral who looks like he is close to exploding from anger. “I hope I never have the displeasure of meeting you again.”</p>
<p>“What?! This fight has just started! I will burn you to ash! Unlike the avatar, I don't have to capture you alive!” </p>
<p>“Oh, it isn't over? I would like to ask you ships about that.” Sokka says. The admiral's eyes fall onto the burning scraps of his vessels, floating in the river. The young warrior uses the distraction to call up a screen of fire, just like he has seen Jeong Jeong do, drawing in the flames that hit the plantlife by accident, before fleeing into the wood.</p>
<p>From the distance he can still hear Zhao’s shout of frustration, making the teen burst out laughing. </p>
<p>“Sokka! There you are! Jump on!”  he hears his sister's voice come out of the woods. She has Aang and Appa in tow, and the firebender wastes no time to jump onto the bison as they rise into the air.</p>
<p>“Wait, have you seen Jeong Jeong?” Sokka asks the two. </p>
<p>“No.” Katara says shaking her head, “He disappeared. They all did.” she continues as they fly over the empty camp.</p>
<p>For a while silence envelopes them, until Aang raises his voice. “Sokka, I’m sorry for what I did. I should have listened to you…”</p>
<p>“It’s ok Aang. I’m sorry I shouted at you. I know you didn't want to hurt us.”</p>
<p>“But you were right!” Aang cries out, the tears pooling in his eyes. “I could have seriously hurt you! I don't know what would have happened if you didn't protect Katara!”</p>
<p>Sokka hurries over to the shaking boy and pulls him into a hug. “Yes, you made a mistake, but this isn't the end of the world you know. Thanks to Katara even the wound is already healed.” Sokka says in a soft voice his hand resting on the boy's head. “Just promise me you will be more careful with your fire in the future.”</p>
<p>“I don't think I want to use fire even again. It’s just too dangerous. I don't know what I would do if I hurt you again.”</p>
<p>Sokka is silent for a while. “Do you think my fire is dangerous?” He asks the younger boy patiently.</p>
<p>“What? No! I, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't think I should use fire again.” The boy makes big panicky gestures.</p>
<p>The firebender takes the younger’s hand into his own in an attempt to calm him down. “I know you don't mean it that way, but I don't think you have to be afraid of using fire.” He mover Aang's hands so the palms are open, before creating a small gentle flames, no bigger than a candle, resting in their hand. </p>
<p>The boy flinches, but Sokka calmingly runs his fingers over the younger's hands till he finds him to calm down.</p>
<p>“See? The fire isn't dangerous. Try to reach out to it. Don't worry, I will keep it under control.”</p>
<p>The boy hesitates, but compiles, and Sokka can feel as the airbender’s energy joins his inside the flame. Slowly, the flame syncs with the boy, rising gently with each of their breaths. </p>
<p>“It’s like a little heartbeat.” Aang tells Sokka, the amazement strong in his voice. The older just nods, slowly letting go of the other’s hand to give him full control.</p>
<p>“Fire is life, energy. It is chaotic from nature. But it has so much potential. We just have to learn how to use it right.” He takes back the control of the flame in Aang's hands, making it fly around them, splitting up into small sparky, floating around them like fireflies. </p>
<p>The avatar turns to Sokka with a smile on his face. “You are right. Fire is so much more than how the Fire Nation uses it.”</p>
<p>Aang extends his hands to one of the sparks, and Sokka leaves it to the control of the boy. The light floats in the airbenders palm, giving of a gentle glow till it slowly fades away.</p>
<p>“And you told me that you can't be my Fire bending teacher. Are you so sure about that?” Aang asks Sokka with a wide smile on his face.</p>
<p>“Well, maybe I will think about it.” The firebender tells him with a smile in his voice. “What is most important is that everyone learned something important today.” Sokka says as he stretches his arms from all the bending he did today.</p>
<p>“Oh and that topic, did Katara already tell you about the healing powers that would have been so incredibly useful to know about when I first tried to learn firebending?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so for me it felt really natural for Jeong Jeong to agree to teach Sokka. With all the guilt and making up for his mistakes, it felt right that he feels responsible to help Sokka learn about his bending. But he can still be grumpy about it.<br/>And rewatching the episode I really started to question how they taught Aang airbending, considering his whole demeanor in the lessons.<br/>And I tried to write Sokka kind of like Katara, in that he just needed a master to give him a push in the proper direction to get him started, and then he does the rest himself.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Northern Air Temple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang comes across some rumors about people flying through the air, sending the trio to the northern air temple.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka can't help his eyes drifting to Aang as the kid tries to coax Appa to fly to the northern air temple as fast as the bison can.</p>
<p>As they made a short rest with other travelers, they heard a story about a group of people flying through the sky, not unlike the airnomads did. Aang of course immediately set course to the location they were told about, trying to get a lead on another airbender.</p>
<p>But Sokka is conflicted. He himself told Aang that there might still be some airbender hidden, but a group of people who get openly talked about by travelers isn't likely to be them. The Fire Nation would never have allowed them to live, if their other actions are anything to go by. </p>
<p>The firebender tries to hope for the best, but the way Aang’s eyes are filled with hope just makes him feel bad.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till they reach the temple, and for a moment Sokka thinks all his worry was for nothing as he gazes at the people gliding through the air. That is until Aang's sad and disappointed voice calls out to the siblings.</p>
<p>“They aren't airbender. They have no spirit. They aren't flying, just gliding.” The boy tells them as his eyes drift to the ground.</p>
<p>“What do you mean no spirit?” Sokka asks. </p>
<p>“They can airbend. They don't truly understand the air like the air nomads. It's just not the same.” The </p>
<p>And that sounds weirdly degrading to non airbenders to Sokka. He didn't think the air nomads philosophy would have such notions. “Does that mean we are spiritless to you too?” he can't help but ask the boy.</p>
<p>“No! I didn't mean it like that! It's just, well, the sky is something the air nomads had, our place of freedom where no one could touch us. Seeing others intrude into it just seems … wrong.” The voice of the avatar turns sad as he finishes talking, but is shocked out of the thoughts a glider breaks through the clouds right in front of them.</p>
<p>The unfamiliar kid gives them a grin before diving into the clouds again, joining the others again, flying loopings through the sky. Aang just stares at them, his eyes distant.</p>
<p>“Show them how it's done!” Sokka tells the boy, trying to get the boy's attention away from the sad thoughts.</p>
<p>Aang gives the firebender a grin and takes out his glider, flying off to the others.</p>
<p>“We should get to solid ground for now.” Sokka tells his sister as he sits down on Appa’s head, guiding the bison to a big balcony at the entrance of the temple. There are too many things flying too close to them for his liking.</p>
<p>They land on what is probably a bison landing platform, even if Sokka doubts that it was actually used for that in the last 100 years. ‘Now that I think of that, why would the Fire Nation kill the air bisons too? Wouldn't they be useful to them?’</p>
<p>His eyes drift to the gliders flying through the air. They look different from Aang’s, Sokka realizes. More complex but less sturdy. And they dont look like they can fold up into a staff either.</p>
<p>The firebender continues to watch the children glide through the air, Aang and the other kid showing off more and more impressive maneuvers. </p>
<p>“Katara, if I say I want to do anything even close to that please assume I’m an imposter.”</p>
<p>The waterbender gives him a laugh. “Oh come on. It looks fun. Maybe we can even ask them to try too.”</p>
<p>The competition ends with the unnamed boy drawing an image of Aang’s face in the sky using a smoke machine fitted at the end of his glider. When the boy lands he is welcomed by the cheer of the other children.</p>
<p>They help him take off the gliding part of his wheelchair as the boy comes over to Aang with wonder in his eyes! “You are an airbender! A real one! You must be the avatar! That's amazing! I have heard stories about you!”</p>
<p>“Thanks.” Aang replies, awkwardly rubbing his neck. </p>
<p>But Sokka’s attention soon shifts to the boy's glider. The structure is even more complex close up, a stark difference to Aang’s surprisingly simple design. “Wow! This glider chair is amazing! </p>
<p>“If you think this is incredible you should see the rest of the stuff my dad designed.” The boy says. “I’m Teo by the way.” He says, leading the group into the inner sanctum of the temple.</p>
<p>When Sokka sees the construction littering the hall it takes his breath away. Everything seems to be in motion, perfectly fitted into a rhythm made out of thousands of parts. </p>
<p>“This place is amazing!” He says, getting closer to one of the machines to get a better look.</p>
<p>“Yeah, my dad is the mastermind behind this whole place.” Teo tells them in a casual voice, like he hears it every other day. And with half of what the firebender has seen till now, he should.</p>
<p>“Everything is powered by hot air. It even pumps hot air currents outside to give us a lift when we are gliding.” the boy explains.</p>
<p>‘Using the hot air as a lift by creating an updraft to fly even if you aren't an airbender! That's amazing. I know that hot air rises, but I would have never thought of that!’</p>
<p>“This place is unbelievable.” Aang says, Sokka barely registering the words over his fanboying over the machines. He can’t help it, okay? This is just something he has never seen in his whole life, and it is all pure, logical science!</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s great, isn't it?” Teo says enthusiastically, only for Aang to brush him off.</p>
<p>“No. Not amazing, just unbelievable.” the avatar says, walking into another room, Katara following after him.</p>
<p>“Please don't take Aang’s attitude badly right now.” Sokka approaches Teo when the airbender is out of hearing range. “When we heard the rumors about people flying through the sky he had so much hope to see his family again. And now everything is so different. Please don't be too hard on him.” Sokka asks the earth kingdom boy.</p>
<p>Teo nods, understanding showing in his eyes. “We have been here so long that I don't even remember what this place looked like when we first came here. I guess we just didn't think there would be anyone who cared about this place anymore.”</p>
<p>“Well, I really like what you did to this place.” Sokka tells Teo, trying to get the boy's mood up again. And it's not like he is lying. Just from looking at the machines he knows they were built by a master of his craft.</p>
<p>“You have to introduce me to your dad.” Sokka begs the kid who just gives him a laugh.</p>
<p>The two hurry after Aang and Katara, just in time to see Aang blow a building sized part of construction equipment off the mountain.</p>
<p>“This is a sacred temple! You can't treat it this way! I've seen it when the monks were here, what it is supposed to look like!” The kid shouts.</p>
<p>“The monks?” The mechanic asks, surprised. “But you look like you are like, 12.”</p>
<p>Teo uses the moment to approach his father. “Dad. He is the avatar. He used to come here a hundred years ago.” </p>
<p>But Aang doesn't stop with his rant. “What are you doing? Who said you could be here?!” </p>
<p>The man looks like an old memory flashes in his mind. “A long time ago - but not a hundred years - my people became refugees after a terrible flood. My infant son, Teo, was badly hurt and lost his mother.” </p>
<p>He takes in a deep breath to collect himself. “I needed somewhere to rebuild, and I stumbled across this place. And I couldn't believe it. Everywhere pictures of people flying through the sky, but abandoned. For a long time already.”</p>
<p>He approaches Aang, pointing at his glider. “Then I came across these fan-like contraptions.”</p>
<p>“Our gliders.” Aang says, his voice hostile.</p>
<p>But the inventor continues unbothered, caught up in amazement. “Yes! Little light flying machines. They gave me an idea. Build a new life for my son in the air. Then everyone would be on equal ground, so to speak.”</p>
<p>Sokka can see how the engineer holds back to not laugh at his own joke. He already likes that man.</p>
<p>“We were just in the process of improving what's already here. And after all, isn't that what nature does?” The man ends his speech.</p>
<p>Sokka can't help but agree. He knows how hard it can be to take care of people during this war. It is only understandable that they took over the old temple. He actually thinks that Aang should be happy that the temple continued to help people even after the air nomads disappeared. When the firebender looks over to Katara he can see she shares similar thoughts.</p>
<p>Aang looks like he is about to say something when Teo begins to speak. “We would have never thought someone still cared for this place. Let alone remember how it used to be. I didn't think we would affect anyone with our changes.”</p>
<p>Aang looks more forgiving now as he gives Teo a nod. “You are right, but nature knows where to stop.”</p>
<p>“I suppose that is true.” The inventor tells the airbender. “Unfortunately progress has a way of getting away from us.” The man tells them, his eyes drifting to the floor.</p>
<p>Suddenly his eyes snap up to a candle in front of him. “Oh look at the time! Come! The pulley system must be oiled before dark.” He tells the other workers behind him.</p>
<p>“Wait, how can you tell the time from these things? The notches all look the same.” Sokka asks the man. </p>
<p>“The candle will tell us! Watch.” The inventor replies, just in time for some sparkly cracks to be produced by the candle.</p>
<p>“You put spark powder in the candle! That is amazing!” Sokka exclaims. The man goes off in explaining how the amount of sparks gives them further information about the time, and the firebender just continues to be amazed.</p>
<p>“Or as I call it, 4 o candle.” The man finishes.</p>
<p>Sokka can't help but laugh at that, even if his sister seems to have a different opinion. ‘Well, at least one of our family needs to have good humor.’ he grumbles internally and sticks out his tongue to his sister.</p>
<p>At least she gets her laugh when the engineer just casually hands the teen his prosthetic fingers.</p>
<p>“Follow me.” The man tells Sokka and the two make their way to a deeper part of the temple, leaving the other kids to their own. </p>
<p>The two soon reach the more rustic parts, looking more like a cave than a building, as the man gives Sokka a weird looking lantern with a weak blue glow.</p>
<p>“What is in these?” The firebender asks. ‘They aren't normal lanterns. I don't feel anything even resembling a fire in there.’ </p>
<p>“Oh you have a good eye my boy. These are some of the fireflies that live in these caves.”</p>
<p>“But why would you use fireflies? They aren't nearly as bright as a normal lantern. …  Well I guess they don't need fuel.”</p>
<p>“While that is a good plus the main reason is the gasses in these caves. I came across them on my first time down here. Unfortunately I was carrying a torch at that time. Nearly blew myself and the whole temple even more sky high! I lost all hope my eyebrows would ever grow back!” The man tells Sokka with a laugh, taking the situation far less seriously than the teen would like to.</p>
<p>‘Oh thank the spirits I knew that before I made a flame for better light when going in there.’ The firebender thinks as they descend into the narrow tunnels.</p>
<p>“Here we are. This is where the gas escapes from within the mountain. I suspect previous volcanic activities to be the reason, but I'm not so sure about that.” </p>
<p>Sokka tries to extend his senses for any heat radiating from within the mountain, but does not pick up on anything. ‘Well, if it was a volcano, it hasn't been active in a long time.’</p>
<p>“Anyway, there is a vital problem that needs solving.” The inventor continues. “From time to time we have gas leaks.And they are nearly impossible to find.”</p>
<p>“So this place is an explosion waiting to happen?” </p>
<p>“Yes. Until we figure out a way to locate something I can't see, hear, smell or touch.”</p>
<p>“Charming.” Sokka says, a wry grin on his face. The engineer gives him a laugh. “But it doesn't even have a different smell?”</p>
<p>“Sadly not. And the gas usually only escapes at such a low speed that you can't hear its flow either. I am really at a loss. Oh, but what I did find out is that it tends to rise up. Though that hasn't helped me much yet.”</p>
<p>The two make their way up the caves again, and up the temple into one of the man’s laboratories. It is a mess, but it somehow feels really homely to Sokka.</p>
<p>Of course Sokka has to embarrass himself immediately by crashing into a shelf full of scrolls while he admires the sketches and inventions lining the walls.</p>
<p>“Oh don't worry about it. That experiment is old.” The man tells Sokka calmly, holding up a small model of what looks like a sphere with a passenger seat hanging off it, starting to pick up the scrolls with a calm demeanor. </p>
<p>“Hey this looks like one of the lanterns they let fly at a fire nation festival we went to once!”  Sokka says. ‘Just bigger. Big enough that it might even hold a person. … Wait a minute.’</p>
<p>”Are you trying to make it so a person can fly into the sky only using hot air?” The firebender asks, stars in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Precisely! But there have been some complications with the design.” The man looks like he is about to continue when suddenly a stinging smell hits his nose. </p>
<p>“Ahrg, what is this smell?! It's like rotten eggs!” Sokka asks, holding his nose shut.</p>
<p>“That's because it is. A part of last week's lunch to be exact. But quick, find the egg!” </p>
<p>They scramble over the floor, looking for under the shelves to where the egg could have rolled to, while the smell continues to assault their noses.</p>
<p>“How can something so small that we cant even find it make the whole room smell so bad?!” Sokka shouts out. The moment the words leave his mouth his head jumps into action. He turns his head around to see that the inventor has come to the same conclusion.</p>
<p>“That’s it! If we put a whole mess of rotten eggs into the cellar where the gas leaks out …”</p>
<p>“The gas will mix with the smell of the rotten eggs! And then if there is a leak …”</p>
<p>“It will always smell like rotten eggs! Then you just have to follow your nose to the place where it is coming from and pluck up the hole it's coming from!”</p>
<p>“You are a genius!” They say at the same time. </p>
<p>Just in that moment the egg rolls to them form the shelf beside them. The inventor puts it into a glass jar and puts it back on the shelf. “I will have to ask our cook to leave me some of the eggs, even if it feels like a waste to just let them spoil intentionally.”</p>
<p>Sokka argees but his eyes fall back to the model of the balloon. “You said there were still some problems with this. Why doesn't it fly?”</p>
<p>“Ah, well, flying it does, but it doesn't exactly come down. Once the heat inside it is hot enough, it will just continue to rise up higher into the sky until the air inside cools down on its own.”</p>
<p>The man demonstrates it by lighting a candle inside the constriction with some flintstones. The model rises up until it is stopped by the line linked to its bottom. Without it the balloon would have crashed into the ceiling.</p>
<p>“So we will need a way to control how hot the air inside the balloon is. It would probably be easiest to find a way to cool down.” Sokka says, mostly talking to himself, pulling down the balloon and extinguishing the  flame. “We could just expel some of the hot air and let the cooler surrounding air flow in.”</p>
<p>The boy doesn't realize he has been pacing around the room. ‘I’m a firebender. I should know how to handle hot air.’ </p>
<p>He taps his food on the floor in frustration. “If we could just put in a lid on it. But that wouldn't … Or can we?” Sokka turns to the mechanic, asking for his opinion.</p>
<p>“That might actually work!” The inventor. “Ah. We have made so much progress today! It is wonderful to have a genius like you around.” </p>
<p>Sokka feels his face turning red. “Uhm, thank you, but you are the genius in this room. I just had some small ideas. You did all the important work.” The firebender tells the man. </p>
<p>“Don't sell yourself short young man. Sometimes a small idea is the most important thing. A candle loses all its value without a spark.” The man tells Sokka. </p>
<p>They return their attention back to the balloon. “Well, now we just have to find a way to implement it in this design.” Sokka muses.</p>
<p>He takes the model in his hand, tracing the lines with his finger. Then he gets an idea. He lights the candle, making the balloon fill with the air. “If we follow the main framework of the balloon with a cord, we could put the lid at the top where the air would escape the fastest while also strengthening the stability of the structure!” The teen exclaims.</p>
<p>It takes Sokka a moment to realize that the inventor has become silent. “What is it?” Sokka asks, looking up to see shock in the man's face.</p>
<p>Only now Sokka realizes what he has done, the burning candle in his hand, ignited with his bending.</p>
<p>“You are a firebender!” The man shouts. “You are one of minister Quin’s men! No wait that can't be. Aren't you with the avatar.” The man continues, pointing at the water tribe boy. </p>
<p>“Wait! No! Please listen to me! I’m not with the Fire Nation.” Sokka tries to calm the man down. “Yes, I am a firebender but I'm not on their side. I wasn't even born in the Fire Nation! I’m not some kind of spy.” Sokka tries to calm the man down. It seems to work a little.</p>
<p>“Wait. Who is this minister Quin?” Sokka asks, and immediately panic returns to the inventor's face. Just a different kind of it.</p>
<p>At that moment a bell on the other side of the room begins to ring. “I have to go.” The man tells Sokka. “It looks like I won't be able to hide it anymore. Come with me if you want answers.” He says running out of the room.</p>
<p>Sokka runs after him, trying to ignore the suspicious and fearful glances the man shoots at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the engineer to reveal he had worked with the Fire Nation to ensure the safety of his son was a shock. (And the whole hall stocked with gruesome looking war equipment. That was a shock too.)</p>
<p>But Sokka understands. It was to protect his family and friends after all. </p>
<p>The teen returns back into the man’s study room together with Aang and Teo. He wants to be angry at the man for making their enemies even stronger with his inventions, creations that could have helped the earth kingdom swing the war in their favor, but he doesn't find it in him.</p>
<p>If Sokka can read Aang’s body language right at this point, the boy is of a far different opinion than Sokka. Teo just looks really sad and guilty. </p>
<p>The avatar opens the door to the room, stepping inside. “When will they come?” He asks, his voice hard.</p>
<p>“Soon. Very soon.” The man replies, looking onto the ground. </p>
<p>“You can't give them more weapons.” The airbender continues.</p>
<p>“But if I dont give them what they want, they will destroy this place.” As if on command the balloon catches fire and crashes into the ground.</p>
<p>Sokka uses this moment to join into the conversation. “I don't think they will leave you alone anyway.” The firebender starts, gaining the room's attention.  </p>
<p>“You are just about to give them a monopoly in the control over the sky. They won't take any chances in this information reaching the earth kingdom. As soon as they got the plans they would probably try to get rid of everyone who has even a chance of replicating this.” Sokka gestures at the fallen model.</p>
<p>The room is filled with silence for a while.</p>
<p>“How can I be proud of you, when your inventions are being used for murder?” Teo asks his father, so full of grief and anguish.</p>
<p>They are interrupted by a bell ringing, a different one than before. The inventor's head snaps up with fear showing on his face.</p>
<p>“You need to leave. Now.” He tries to tell the three.</p>
<p>“We are not leaving.” Teo tells his father, keeping his voice strong and decisive.  </p>
<p>“Then hide. He can't see you.” He says, pushing Teo behind a big construction on the other side of the room. Aang and Sokka follow, joining the boy behind the cover.</p>
<p>The inventor pulls down a rope, causing a lift to be pulled up, revealing an old man in noble looking Fire Nation clothing.</p>
<p>“You know better than to keep me waiting.” The man starts, not even waiting till the platform has come to a halt. “Give me what you own us so I can be on my way.” The mechanic hesitates, and Sokka can see how the glint in the enemies eyes sharpens even more. </p>
<p>“Is there a problem?” The firebender says threateningly, causing Teo’s father to flinch.</p>
<p>“No. Right this way.” The man says, gesturing to the door.</p>
<p>That is the moment Aang reveals himself from their hiding place, jumping out and blockading the door with a heavy looking drawer. “The deal is off.” He tells the men, looking surprisingly intimidating.</p>
<p>Of course the enemy immediately recognises Aang. They should really try to get a good disguise for Aang. Though Sokka doubts that the boy would willingly wear it.</p>
<p>“Aang, don't get involved.” The inventor beggs, but his words fall on deaf ears, being ignored by both parties.</p>
<p>“If I don't get what I came for, the Fire Nation will burn this place to rubble.” The man tells them.</p>
<p>Sokka wonders why they didn’t do that in the first place when they attacked this place one hundred years ago. In his musing he doesn't have time to react to Aang blowing the man against a nearby wall, and the man using the moment to escape back down into the hatch.</p>
<p>‘We should have tried to capture him.’ Sokka realizes, but now it is too late, he sighs as a dark atmosphere settles in the room. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The four kids step out to one of the balconies to assess the situation.</p>
<p>“Let's be honest about this. “Sokka starts. “This is bad. Like, really bad.”</p>
<p>“What are we gonna do? How can we possibly keep them an entire army away?” Katara asks, fear prominent in her voice. Not that Sokka can blame her. They know how dangerous the attacks of the Fire Nation can be. ‘And this time we don't even know how big the enemies troops are.’</p>
<p>At least Aang seems to be more optimistic, as if his voice is anything to go by.</p>
<p>“I will tell you how.” The boy starts. “We have something they don't - air power. We control the sky. That is something the Fire Nation doesn't. We can win.” He finishes with hope in his voice.</p>
<p>But Sokka has his doubts. ‘If just some basic level control over the sky would be enough to stop them, then the air nomads would still live today.’</p>
<p>‘...We could flee. They could try to build up a new home somewhere else. … No. The soldiers probably blocked all of the paths by now, and we don't have enough gliders to get everyone out of here.’ </p>
<p>Sokka’s thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Teo’s father. “I want to help.” The man tells them, trying his best to look determined, but he looks like he has the same doubts as the water tribe teen.</p>
<p>They gather all of the temple's inhabitants and start a war meeting in the inventor's study, Sokka explaining to them how they got the war balloon working. </p>
<p>They decide for Aang and the others to try to keep the enemies on the narrow mountain paths, not letting them advance to stable ground where their group's air advantage loses value. Sokka and Teo’s father will try to make the new implementations on the war balloon as fast as possible, joining the fight when it is ready.</p>
<p>To Sokka’s surprise, the morale seems to be high. Is it because they don't have enough battle experience? Or just that much trust in their abilities? Well, he is happy that at least they are confident they will win.</p>
<p>The firebender hurries to the weapon storage with the mechanic, dragging behind a cart full of tools and material.</p>
<p>“We have to hurry.” The man tells Sokka. “They won't wait to give us time to prepare.” And Sokka couldn't agree more.</p>
<p>His father has told him what he knew about the tactics the Fire Nation usually employs, and this seems right up their alley. It’s a good strategy, he admits, but he likes it far more when he is the one to use it.</p>
<p>Luckily the changes are relatively small, but even even with the little time they need he already hears the sound of explosions outside the walls.</p>
<p>“I am finished with this!” Sokka calls down from the scaffolding. “How far are you?”</p>
<p>“Just a moment … and, done!” The man calls up to him. </p>
<p>The teen jumps down from the distraction, hitting the ground next to the other man. “I would really have preferred a test run…” he mumbles, and the face of the mechanic tells Sokka that he thinks the same.</p>
<p>The firebender climbs inside the basket, lighting the furnace with a flick of his fingers. He sees how the man beside him tenses, seemingly just remembering the boy’s abilities. </p>
<p>The balloon slowly starts to expand as the air builds up in it, but it somehow feels incredibly slow to the teen. “You go attach the ammunition to the basket, I will help the furnace with the heating.” He tells the man, and they both fall into motion.</p>
<p>The watertribe boy climbs into the basket, extending his hands upwards into the construction. ‘No flames. The membrane of the balloon isn't able to withstand the fire. I never tried to make just heat before, but it shouldn't be that far off.’ He thinks, trying to calm himself down.</p>
<p>He lets his energy flow into his arms extending into his hands. The teen can feel the flames move under his skin, trying to break out. But he holds them back, making it feel like tingling pressure under his skin. But it works. </p>
<p>He can see how the air is flickering around his arms, rising up and filling the balloon. The pressure in his arms subsides slightly as he gets used to the energy’s flow, and it doesn't take long till the teen can see the construction rise from the ground.</p>
<p>The mechanic seemed to have realized it too as the gate to the outside of the temple opens, the man climbing down a ladder, just managing to reach the basket before it leaves the ground. Sokka reaches for the man's arm, drawing him up into the basket.</p>
<p>He feels how the man flinches under his tough and hastily lets go as soon as the man is safely deposited inside. </p>
<p>“Sorry.” </p>
<p>The man is quiet for a moment, taking a deep breath before he starts speaking. “You don't have to be. I’m the one who should apologize. By now I have no doubt that you are on our side, and still …”</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh. “I’m really not good at stuff like this. But I want you to know that I am thankful to you and your friends, and I shouldn't react to you in the way I do, and I don't deserve your kindness. But please promise me, if this starts to go south, please take care of Teo for me.”</p>
<p>Sokka nods gravely. “I promise.” He tells the man, whose body seems to relax a bit after his words.</p>
<p>Sokka continues to heat the air as they rise out of the workshop, just in time to see some kind of Fire Nation tank to roll up the slope to the temple.</p>
<p>Luckily for them, the soldiers seem to think that the balloon is on their side, so they have enough time to position themselves directly over the troops for a perfect opportunity to drop their ammunition.</p>
<p>“Now!” Sokka shouts rutting the ropes and letting the glue slime fall on their enemies. It does quick work of the soldiers, but to his shock the tanks seem to be mostly unfazed by it.</p>
<p>‘Shit! We have to do something!’ The teen’s mind races when a very familiar stench hits his nose. </p>
<p>“Wait. You smell that?” The mechanic asks from beside him, having picked up on it too.</p>
<p>“Rotten eggs!” answers, a plan forming in his head. He lets his air scan the area  and soon finds a suspiciously ice free area on the ground. “There! That's where the gas is escaping!”</p>
<p>He turns to the man, a grin forming on his face. “Hold on tight!” He says, shooting a fireball onto the surface, and the gas immediately ignites at the opportunity, throwing up a wave of hot and dusty flames.</p>
<p>The boy shuts his eyes tight as the shockwave rocks the balloon, his ears ringing from the blast. </p>
<p>When he is able to look down again, he can see that an entire area of the mountain has been blown up, the advancing tanks included, now creating a cliff that stops the soldiers from advancing.</p>
<p>The mountain paths don't seem to have any better, now being closer to a cliff than anything else.</p>
<p>‘Well, that will probably give this place some better defences.’ Sokka muses.</p>
<p>But now as he looks to the temple he notices something unnerving. They seem to rapidly lose height, and the firebender is fast to find out why. </p>
<p>He spots a huge rupture at the side of the balloon, probably from a shrapnel caused by the explosion, letting out huge amounts of air. Sokka extends his hands upward in an attempt to cancel out the loss of hot air, but soon realizes that it makes barely any change.</p>
<p>But to their relief Aang seems to have noticed their struggle, flying in to their rescue.</p>
<p>Sokka attaches his boomerang to a rope, throwing it to the airbender who manages to catch it out of the air.</p>
<p> They cling onto the rope as the airbender uses the last of his energy to bring them back to the temple.</p>
<p>They are welcomed by the victory cries of the people. And even Aang seems to be satisfied with them living in the temple now.</p>
<p>And for the first time since he can remember, he feels like they have had a true victory.</p>
<p>It isn't until much later that he realizes that it was one of their greatest defeats. Because on that day, they lost the sky.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, two long chapters (for me at least) back to back definitely isn't good from my writing schedule.<br/>And I started to realize I just keep taking away what Katara would do/say and give it to Sokka, I kinda feel bad for her.<br/>I thought about Sokka making some equipment for the gaang,  but that kinda felt too much, especially considering how much stronger the group already is with Sokka getting such a power boost in firebending. Even if I really wanted to. It just was so bad for power balancing.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Waterbending Master</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A moment of relative calm changes over our trio, giving them time to calm their inner und outer turmoils. But unbeknownst to them, danger keeps approaching.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka just wants to start by saying that he didn't mean to offend Aang and Appa. They have just been flying over the open ocean for like over a day and it's starting to get to the teen.</p>
<p>And the cold. Definitely the cold.</p>
<p>That is the one thing he definitely didn't miss about home. He can already feel the icy sting settle in his bones, sinking into the skin of his face.</p>
<p>He expected this, of course. The northern air temple wasn't warm either, but that didn't even come close to this.</p>
<p>Katara on the other hand seems to be thriving, which only causes Sokka to be more annoyed. ‘Why couldn't we just have stayed at a place it is at least a little bit warmer!’</p>
<p>The firebender has already put on a blanket and the third layer of clothes, but he still feels the icy wind through the fiber.</p>
<p>He decides to let his inner flame swell, letting its warmth spread through his body. But he can't just carelessly waste his energy in these areas. If a bad blizzard would happen to cover the sun for an extended amount of time, he will need every bit of energy he can muster.</p>
<p>He had learned that the hard way.</p>
<p>But they surely can't be that far from the Northern water tribe by now. Sokka is about to ask Aang for the map when suddenly ice crystals shoot out of the water, catching Appa by his foot and making the animal crash into the ocean.</p>
<p>Another wave of ice grows over the surface, freezing them to the place. Sokka jumps up, trying to get into a fighting position when he sees the boats appear from behind the icebergs. </p>
<p>He recognizes the construction, even if it is quite different from home. And right now Sokka is really happy his movements were slowed because of the cold. It would probably not a good impression to the northern watertribe to introduce himself by throwing fire around.</p>
<p>The teen decides to keep his bending to himself for now. He doesn't know how they will react and he was able to hide it for years. How difficult can it be to hide it for another two weeks?</p>
<p>The waterbenders take them to the settlement of the southern water tribe, showing off the beautiful white walls of their city. They open a gate for them using their bending, and Sokka can see the total awe in his sister's eyes. </p>
<p>‘And for a good reason.’ Sokka thinks. Back at home they didn't even have anything close to this. Not even in the old stories Gran-Gran told them from before the raids began.</p>
<p>The Southern water tribe has always been less centralized, instead being split up into smaller groups. They used to have a good communication network between the sub-tribes, but that became difficult since the war.</p>
<p>They are lifted up using a water elevator, letting them see over the city. Even from the distance Sokka can see the people walk around the streets and ride their boats through the canals. </p>
<p>“I can't believe how many waterbenders live here.” Katara tells them, a mixture between wonder and sadness in her voice.</p>
<p>“We’ll find a master to teach us waterbending no problem.” Aang answers happily, oblivious to the other meaning in Katara's words.</p>
<p>They are led into the city by another boat, the people giving them curious and excited looks. ‘Did they already realize that Aang is the avatar? Or are they just so interested to have visitors in a long time? Or it could just be Appa.’ </p>
<p>But the architecture is even more impressive up close. Maybe they could try to replicate that back at home when Katara got better at her bending?</p>
<p>They soon pass by an elegantly decorated boat, the designs far more intricate and the colours purer. But that isn't what catches Sokka’s attention.</p>
<p>On the vessel is a girl, with eyes blue as the ocean, beautiful smooth skin, and her hair as white as fresh snow. </p>
<p>She holds her body in an ordered fashion, a small smile gracing her face making her look almost weak and fragile.</p>
<p>But Sokka feels something different, ancient and strong, residing within her. The image of Koh flashes in his mind, and it isn't that far of, but her energy is far more gentle. It almost feels like the calming flow of a river, or the splashing of a calm ocean.</p>
<p>His mind races. Who is she? Why does she feel like that? But she is out of his view before he can even call after her.</p>
<p>Though it doesn't take long for him to see her again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three travelers are invited to a feast. It seems to originally only be planned for the birthday of the princess of the southern water tribe, but now their presence was added as a reason to celebrate.</p>
<p>The food turns out to be really good, and even if it isn't exactly the same as at home, it comes close enough. Maybe if he asks for some ingredients he could show them how they make it in the south?</p>
<p>The teen lets his eyes drift over the crowd. He has never been at such a big celebration. Well, except the time he was at that Fire Nation festival. But at home there never was something like this, even when the warriors were still at home.</p>
<p>He really misses home, he realizes. Here it all looks and feels similar to the south, but it's just not the same. </p>
<p>But that still doesn't mean he misses how damn cold it is. Aang and Katara might only have eyes for the waterbending show in front of them, but Sokka has other worries too. (Well, the bending is pretty impressive, he has to admit that.)</p>
<p>He is just about to leave for somewhere warmer - preferably something with a place with a little more roof - to preserve the bit of energy he has and is going to get when he is here, but then she appears.</p>
<p>An announcer informs the people of princess Yue’s presence as she walks onto the courtyard. She looks almost mystical under the moonlight, Sokka thinks as she walks up to him.</p>
<p>“But our guests aren't the only reason we celebrate today.” The chief announces, Sokka only now noticing the man speaking. “We are also celebrating my daughter’s 16th birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age.” The man announces proudly, even if Sokka is a bit confused about the special mention of that fact.</p>
<p>“Thank you father.” She announces. “May the great ocean spirits watch over us during these troubled times.” </p>
<p>The waterbending performance on the stage starts up again and Sokka makes a conscious effort to look at it instead of bombarding the princess with questions as soon as she sits down beside him.</p>
<p>But it seems that he looked pretty convincing as Yue decides to ask him about it. “Do you enjoy the show? Master Pakku is the best waterbender on the north pole.”</p>
<p>“Um, yeah. I’m really interested in bending.” He tells her. “But I’m not a waterbender.” ‘Not a lie.’ And the show is impressive. Sokka can see how expertly they handle the water, every movement smooth and without even a bit of uncertainty.</p>
<p>“I’m Yue, the princess of the northern water tribe. But I’m sure you heard that already. It’s nice to meet you.” she introduces himself, a small smile on her face.</p>
<p>“I’m Sokka.” The firebender answers. “And I’m probably the closest thing our tribe has to a prince.” He says trying to impress her, sticking out his chest in an attempt to make his shoulder look broader.</p>
<p>Of course he has to be interrupted by his sister, snorting at his comment. “Ha, a prince? Of what? Of dried meat?” </p>
<p>“Well, dad is the chief! And we don't exactly have a royal family at home.” Sokka tells her, crossing his arms and turning away from her, which happens to bring him face to face with Yue.</p>
<p>To his surprise she gives him a small, gentle laugh. </p>
<p>But now this situation feels really awkward to Sokka. Asking about the whole spirit stuff feels out of place to the teen.</p>
<p>“So, it looks like I’m gonna be in town for a while. I’m thinking we could ... uhm … do an activity?” He tries, badly, his mind adds. The second snort he hears from Katara only adds to it.</p>
<p>Luckily for the boy, Yue doesn't seem to be that bothered by his, well, everything and agrees to meet him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day Aang and Katara leave the accommodation given to them around the same time that Sokka starts with his own training. The two don't exactly seem happy about it, but the firebender can still see the determination in their eyes.</p>
<p>He can't really blame them. He was the same with Jeong Jeong after all.</p>
<p>He goes through with his daily practices. Meditating, stretching, Katas and culminating in a shorter than usual firebending session. He isn't exactly sure how much heat this house can hold, and he isn't that eager to test it out.</p>
<p>And he can't forget the whole energy preserving thing. </p>
<p>He goes out into the town, trying to find a relatively warm place with an open view to the sun, trying to fill up at least a bit of his energy, when he stumbles on Princess Yue.</p>
<p>Like the last time he saw her she is riding through the canals on a boat, giving of an elegant and calming aura. </p>
<p>“Princess Yue! Good morning!” Sokka shouts to her training to get the girl's attention.</p>
<p>Sokka has to run to catch up to her. “Hey, how about that picnic last night?” He asks her, panting from the run. He really misses having the good stamina from the warmer regions. “Boy your dad sure knows how to throw a party.”</p>
<p>“I’m happy you enjoyed yourself.” She tells him, not elaborating.</p>
<p>She keeps her eyes glued to the front, probably to appear more royal. ‘Is that why she is riding around the city again? Maybe it's to keep up morals.’</p>
<p>“Well, it wasn't as good after you left.” He says, trying to get her into the conversation. To his surprise that actually gets her to blush. </p>
<p>“So I’m still hoping we could see more of each other, you know?”</p>
<p>“For an activity?” She asks teasingly. </p>
<p>“Yeah! At some … place.” The teen answers awkwardly. ‘Spirits, I’m messing this up.’</p>
<p>“How about we meet at that bridge over there tonight.” Yue points to the construction in front of them, taking the conversation into her own hand. ‘Probably out of pity.’ Sokka thinks.</p>
<p>“Great!” The firebender answers. “I'll see you -” He falls into the canal with a yelp, not realizing that the path endet.</p>
<p>“Sorry!” The Princess calls after him, a laugh gracing her words. </p>
<p>Sokka fights himself out of the water. ‘Of course you had to embarrass yourself again. She probably isn't even linked to some kind of big spirit! Why are you getting so nervous?!’</p>
<p>He shivers as the cold sees into his skin, and decides it would be best to hurry to their lodging for now. Luckily it doesn't take long, and he strips out of the wet cloth as he enters the building.</p>
<p>Someone seems to have brought them fuel for their oven while he was gone, and he wastes no time igniting a small flame with it. He huddles himself to the fire as close as possible, spreading out his cloth to help them dry as he watches the flickering flame.</p>
<p>‘Katara and Aang are training right now. I should do the same.’ He takes in a deep breath, recalling the short time he had with Jeong Jeong. Breathing seems to be the best for now, so he falls into a deep meditation, training to strengthen his flame as he lets the time pass by.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It doesn't feel long till the night arrives, and Sokka starts to hurry out of the house. Aang and Katara have not returned from their training yet, so Sokka assumes the training is pretty hard. </p>
<p>‘Was Jeong Jeong actually a pretty lax teacher?’</p>
<p>The firebender runs through the alleys, making his way to the designated meeting point.</p>
<p>Sokka can see her from the distance already. She looks as beautiful under the moonlight, like it makes her shine even more.</p>
<p>“Hi, princess Yue.” He approaches her from the side. “I made you something.”</p>
<p>He managed to make her a woodcarving in a short amount of time, and thanks to the experience he got it actually turned out pretty well. The time he spent crafting around the campfires back at home really came in handy.</p>
<p>He presents the carving to her. It’s in the form of some kind of fish, detailed enough that it has actual scales, it’s tail gracefully flowing around as if it was swimming in a circle. The animal just somehow felt fitting to Sokka.</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful.” She tells him, but her voice sounds dejected, sad even. Maybe it doesn't look as good as he thought.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She says after a while. “I made a mistake. I shouldn't have asked you to come here.” She tells the teen and runs down the stairs, disappearing into an alley, leaving the boy behind.</p>
<p>‘Oh course you had to mess that up. Why did you even think she would want to do anything with you? She probably thinks she is too good for a peasant like me. Just like Zuko.’</p>
<p>He throws the statue into the canal, looking down as it slowly disappears into the dark water. </p>
<p>The teen doesn’t know why he thought of Zuko. They haven't seen the firebender in a while and it just feels … off. Is it because Zuko could just jump out to capture them at any moment? Yeah, that has to be it. </p>
<p>Recently they had more run-ins with Zhao. And Sokka can't even learn some interesting firebending moves from the man! He just throws fire around without any grace or beauty. Like a wild animal.</p>
<p>The prince has actual form, every movement trained and expertly executed. Even if the form tends to fall apart as soon as the price loses his temper. </p>
<p>The watertribe boy cracks a small smile at the image of the prince literally spitting fire out of frustration. He knows it should be intimidating, but still.</p>
<p>The firebender makes his way to the accommodation, only now noticing the cold winds of the night.</p>
<p>When he arrives he sees the other two have returned from their lesson.</p>
<p>“How was warrior training?” Katara asks.</p>
<p>Sokka just walks over to his sleeping bag letting his body drop into it face first. </p>
<p>“That bad?” She asks. She herself actually sounds pretty disheartened, he realizes now. But she probably had a tiring day after all.</p>
<p>“No, it’s princess Yue. I don't get it. One minute she wants to go out with me and the next she doesn't even want to see me! I don't get it!” He let out a sigh. “So how was waterbending training?” He asks. </p>
<p>Their faces already tell Sokka enough before they even open their mouths. </p>
<p>“Master Pakku doesn't want to teach her because she is a girl.” Aang tells him as Katar just lets herself drop into her own sleeping bag.</p>
<p>That is a problem Sokka didn't even think about. He knows that Gran-Gran told them about the harsh traditions in the northern tribe, though that wasn't on his mind at all.</p>
<p>But with how their own tribe is at the moment he totally forgot about it. But he doesn't think that these dump traditions will be such a big problem to them. </p>
<p>“Why don't you just teach her, Aang.” He proposes.</p>
<p>The other two lighten up immediately. “Why didn't I think about that?” Katara says as she jumps up. “At night, you can teach me whatever you learn from Pakku during the day. That way you have someone to practice with and I get to learn waterbending! That way everyone is happy!”</p>
<p>“I’m not happy.” Sokka can't help but tell them, letting his head drop back into the sleeping bag.</p>
<p>“But you are never happy. Come on Aang.” Katara just ignores her brother, making her way out of the building. Aang follows her, but at least gives Sokka a sympathetic look.</p>
<p>As soon as they are out of the building, Sokka slips into his sleeping bag. The day was exhausting and the cold temperature is taking a toll on his stamina. The sun has already set anyway, so it's not like the tiredness is unusual anyway.</p>
<p>It only takes moments for him to fall into a deep slumber.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he wakes up the next day, Katara seems to be in an even worse mood than yesterday. </p>
<p>She tells Sokka about Pakku watching Aang train her last night, and now the old man won't teach him. Sokka didn't even know some of the words she used to describe the waterbender!</p>
<p>The three soon find themselves in the great hall of the northern watertribe’s council. The waterbending master in question sitting in front of them, accompanied by the royal family and some other elders Sokka doesn't recognize.</p>
<p>At first Sokka’s eyes drift to Yue. He still doesn't understand the girls actions, but that soon becomes the smaller of his worries.</p>
<p>He can feel Katara’s anger build up beside him and starts to take distance just in time to avoid the ice breaking under his feet. He knows how much emotions can influence one's bending, and more than once he had the misfortune of seeing what it does to Katara.</p>
<p>She challenges the waterbending master to a duel, storming outside to wait for the old man. </p>
<p>The geezer actually has the audacity to attempt to just walk away from his sister. He deservingly gets a water whip at the back of his head for that.</p>
<p>That turns out to be enough to persuade tha man to battle. Sokka watches from the sideline as both of them start to throw waves at each other. </p>
<p>His sister won't be able to win this. He is sure of that, and is pretty sure his sister knows too. But that doesn't mean she has to make it easy for the old man. </p>
<p>And if her abilities impress the other waterbender enough, he might even rethink his decision. </p>
<p>At least that is what Sokka tells himself.</p>
<p>He can see how his sister struggles to fight on against the raw power of the other man, but she holds steady. Sokka almost jumps into the battle after a especially heavy hit, only barely holding the reflex back.</p>
<p>But he couldn't be prouder. Her opponent is strong, but she adaps, using every small opening she can find, her attacks getting better and better the longer she has time to study the older man’s movements, using her superior endurance and speed to get an edge on him.</p>
<p>She manages to get in multiple solid hits, her opponent visibly cringing from the pain and panting from exhaustion, but he manages to lock her movements with a rain of icicles.</p>
<p>What happens after that is all a bit much for Sokka. </p>
<p>The old man picks up Katara's necklace from the ground, and the teen can see the recognition flash in his eyes.</p>
<p>The man tells them that he was the one who made that betrothal necklace, and while Sokka tires to work the facts into his head that, Gran-Gran is from the northern water tribe, was supposed to be married, this asshole was supposed to be her husband, and the most important fact; that no one told him about that, the man agrees to take Katar as his student.</p>
<p>So at least things turned out well for his sister.</p>
<p>When the whole thing is just about to end, Yue runs off into the distance, and Sokka is sure he saw the tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>He runs after, searching for her all around the city. When he finds her she is standing on an oh so familiar bridge.</p>
<p>“What do you want from me?” She asks him. </p>
<p>“Nothing. I just want to make sure you are okay. And I want you to tell you you are beautiful, and I never thought a girl like you would even notice a guy like me.” Sokka tells her, spilling out emotions he himself didn't think he had.</p>
<p>“You don't understand.” She tells him, her voice weak.</p>
<p>“No. I think I do understand now. You are royalty, beautiful, a leader and I’m just  … me. A southern water tribe peasant.” ‘And a liar.’ His mind adds.</p>
<p>“No, Sokka.” She starts, but the firebender interrupts. He doesn't want to hear it. Knowing it makes it hard enough. What was he even thinking? That someone from a royal family would actually be interested in him?</p>
<p>“It’s ok. You don't have to say anything. I’ll see you around, ok?” He turns away to make his way down the stairs again, but suddenly Yue grabs his arm, turning him around and kissing him.</p>
<p>The touch is brief and gently, ending before he can even fully realize it, leaving behind nothing but a warm feeling.</p>
<p>“Okay now I’m really confused.” He tells her. “Happy, but confused.” From deep within his body he feels hope rising up.</p>
<p>“I do like you. A lot.” She tells him, still holding his hand. “But we can't be together. And not for the reason you think. It’s because … I’m engaged.” She reveals to the teen, showing the betrothal necklace placed around her neck.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She says, letting go of his hand and running into the darkness of the night, leaving the firebender alone in the cold again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Like you probably saw in the tags, this is a Zukka fanfic, so I tried to make out the similarities between Zuko and Yue, in some kind of unconscious way in Sokka's mind. I really like Yue and her short lived romance with Sokka was really sweet, so I didn't want to take that away from them. I hope you like how I handled it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Siege of the North Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka finally has the chance to spend some time with Yue, but a great danger is looming in the distance, cutting the boy’s time shorter than he thinks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sokka wakes up this day, he nearly runs out of bed, fighting against the cold that settled into his bones. Yesterday Yue revealed to him that she was engaged.</p>
<p>The firebender is certain she isn't happy about it, if her reaction last night is anything to go by. He knows he won't be able to change that, or the fact that she has to be married at all, but he can at least try to make it easier for her.</p>
<p>He hurries out of the house as early as possible. By now he is pretty sure that the whole driving around the city that Yue does every day is for the morals of the people, so he waits for her at the entrance of the royal palace.</p>
<p>He doesn't actually spend much time there, and soon after the princess steps out of the building.</p>
<p>She seems shocked to see him, even a bit guilty, but Sokka has made up his mind.</p>
<p>“Can we have a moment alone?” He asks Yue and the guard accompanying her. The man is confused but nods, stepping back into the building. Sokka can hear his steps stop not that far from them, so this won't be as private as he hoped, but it will have to do.</p>
<p>“Hey, Yue.” He starts awkwardly. ‘Get yourself together! You planned this out!’ He clears his  throat before he continues to speak again.</p>
<p>“I wanted to talk with you about yesterday. And I mean what I said. I know the situation is difficult, but even so I really would like to know you better, spend time with you, as friends. Maybe we can meet again, and just talk a bit, or something different. Only if you want to, of course.“ His eyes flicker to the wall he knows the guard to be behind.</p>
<p>Her face rapidly runs through a multitude of different emotions, before settling in something he would almost call happy. “So you mean doing an activity together?” She asks teasingly. </p>
<p>‘She is never gonna let me live that down, is she?’ “Yes, like an activity.” Sokka acknowledges, a smile forming on his face. </p>
<p>She giggles. “We can meet in the same place like last time, I have more time today, she says, her head turning in the direction of her guard for a moment. “I will see you then?”</p>
<p>“Yeah till later.” He tells her. “Just promise me to run off like that again.” He gives her a broad grin, guiding her to her boat before excusing himself, making his way back to his lodging.</p>
<p>When he arrives, he finds it empty. Aang and Katara seem to have gone to their training already, so he has the house for himself. It is still quite a while till he will meet up with Yue, so he sits down beside the fire, reaching out with his senses.</p>
<p>‘It feels a little easier than yesterday. Am I already getting used to the changing climate like Iroh said? But it still isn't close to the strength when I was near the equator.’</p>
<p>The flame grows with his breath, rising and falling in a steady rhythm, casting away the cold around the firebender, warmth settling in his bones as the biting cold slowly disappears.</p>
<p>After a while he stands up and hurries to go through his firebending forms before making his way out of the building, hurrying to the meeting place.</p>
<p>After a short time of waiting - and repeatedly making sure that this is the right bridge - the firebender can see Yue approach from the distance. </p>
<p>“Hey! Over here!” Sokka calls out, while waving his hand, even if he is sure that the princess has already spotted him.</p>
<p>“Hello Sokka. Sorry I’m late.” She tells him.</p>
<p>“Don't worry! I didn't wait long. So how were your rounds? How are the people?” He asks her.</p>
<p>She gives him a tired smile. “The people are still on edge, and who can blame them. The Fire Nation has been more active around these areas lately, and it's only a matter of time till they will attack. But with Aang here, they finally have hope again, something to wish and work for.” She tells him, her voice getting softer as she speaks.</p>
<p>They keep talking about their days, but they don't have that much to talk about, so they soon drift off into other topics. She leady Sokka around the city, showing off some of the more memorable landmarks.</p>
<p>“So you really don't have palaces in your home?” Yue asks bewildered.</p>
<p>“Nope.” Sokka tells her, popping the ‘p’ in his mouth. “I grew up in what was pretty much an over glorified block of ice. But home is home, I guess. “</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they have finished their tour around the city, the sun is about to set, they find themselves on the bridge they started. “I really want to ask you something.” Sokka stars nervously. “And you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I don't even know if I’m right with this and-” </p>
<p>He sees a smile spread over Yue’s face.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah I’m rambling again. So uhm, do you have something to do with the spirit world?” He asks. “It was just, well, it just felt like it. Like you give off some kind of energy and I assumed-”</p>
<p>“Yes, I do.” She tells him without hesitation, but surprise is prominent in her voice. “I give off energy? I didn't know that."</p>
<p>“Well, it’s more like a feeling. Not really some I can really describe.” He tries to explain. Yue actually looks like she kind of understood what he tries to tell, despite his lackluster explanation.</p>
<p>“I have to show you something.” She tells him and starts leading him behind the palace, to a small inconspicuous hatch in the wall. She opens it and gestures for Sokka to move inside.</p>
<p>He walks inside, and it feels like he is in another world.</p>
<p>“The energy is so strong here! What is this place?” Sokka asks with amazement. </p>
<p>“This is the spirit oasis. The most spiritual place on the north pole. From here flows all the spiritual energy in our land.”</p>
<p>She crosses the bridge - Sokka following right behind her - and kneels down on the green grass next to the pond. </p>
<p>The firebender can't help but shred his thick clothing, letting the suddenly warm air flow around his body, bathing in the mysterious energies surrounding him.</p>
<p>It makes him remember his time in the spirit world. A feeling both timeless and alive, strong yet gentle. It only gets stronger the closer he steps into the oasis, like he is stepping closer to the sun.</p>
<p>But then his eyes fall on the koi swimming inside the pond, and his whole body constricts. His heart begins to race as he steps into the range of the fish, peacefully circling in the center of the pond, as if they were just as harmless as the plants around them.</p>
<p>But Sokka knows better. He can feel them, the pressure they give off. </p>
<p>Ancient, strong, pure. Like a force of nature distilled into its purest form. The energy flows around him, making his body stiffen instinctually, even if the energy doesn't actually seem aggressive at all, mildly interested at most.</p>
<p>He can feel their essence flow around his body, like their aura is the ocean itself.</p>
<p>‘It probably is.’ he realizes as his mind and body slowly manage to calm down, his heart returning to a more normal rate.</p>
<p>“I owe the spirits my life.” Yue suddenly starts, seemingly unaware of Sokka's struggles, her mind focused on the pond in front of her.</p>
<p>“When I was born, I was sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they are born, but I was born as if I was asleep, my eyes closed, unmoving. Our healers did everything they could, but nothing seemed to work.”</p>
<p>She hangs her hand into the water, creating ripples in the still pond.</p>
<p>“My parents were told I wouldn't survive, but they had one last idea. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me, and that night - beneath the full moon - he brought me to this pond.”</p>
<p>She gently sways her hands in the water, and one of the white koi gently moves to touch her hand. Sokka is quite terrified of the spirit, but the contact is gentle, maybe even loving.</p>
<p>To Sokka’s surprise, she seems completely unbothered by the spirit in front of her. ‘Maybe she doesn't know? No, that wouldn't make sense.’</p>
<p>“He placed me into this pond.” The princess continues, her eyes following the fish as it joins its partner in the center. “My dark hair turned white and I began to cry, and parents knew I would live.”</p>
<p>Sokka goes and joins her by the pond, finally getting comfortable enough to go near the spirits.</p>
<p>“How did you know?” She asks the teen. “How did you know that I’m touched by the spirits?”</p>
<p>“Well, it is kinda a long story.” Sokka starts, awkwardly scratching his neck.</p>
<p>“Wait, now that I think about it, it actually isn't. A while back, Aang tried to pacify an angry forest spirit. It’s home was burned down by the Fire Nation, and it lost itself in anger. During Aang’s first attempt it grabbed me and just dragged me into the spirit world.”</p>
<p>Sokka looks to Yue to see her face in a mixture between shock and doubt.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that's what I think too.” He tries to joke. “I don't remember it all, some memories are still foggy, but most have cleared with time. I was lucky that I only met spirits who didn't actually want to hurt me before I was thrown into our world again.”</p>
<p>He places himself near her on the soft grass, taking in the aura of the spirits. “I don't know why, but after that, I just started to feel things … differently. I don't really know how to describe it.” He scratches the back of his head.</p>
<p>Yue looks as clueless as Sokka feels, and silence falls over the two. ‘She seems to know as much about her spirit situation as I do. Could there be something where you read up on this stuff?’</p>
<p>“I don't know why the spirits have given me this chance.” Yue starts. “But sometimes it all feels a bit … much. Some people look up to me, gaze at my hair and think I know the answer to all of their worries because the spirits helped me once.”</p>
<p>“I try my best to never let them down with my words, but I always feel bad. But I can't just tell them that I never knew the will of the spirits. I can't take that last bit of reassurance away from them.”</p>
<p>Her eyes turn sad as she speaks those words, locking onto the ground.</p>
<p>‘I shouldn't keep stuff to me either. She trusted me with this, I can't keep lying to her.’ Sokka thinks, stepping closer to the girl.</p>
<p>“I ... I have to tell you one more thing. I should have told you from the start, actually. And it is okay if you don't want to see me after this again.” The words tumble out of his mouth. Maybe he should stop? She won’t find out anyway. </p>
<p>But no, he has to do this. He can't just keep lying to people. ‘Just throw it out.’</p>
<p>“I’m a firebender!” Sokka says, shutting his eyes tightly.</p>
<p>The silence that follows is deafening.</p>
<p>“That - that isn't a funny joke Sokka.” She says, her voice unsteady. “You can't be a firebender. You are from the southern water tribe.” </p>
<p>“No! It’s not a joke! I- well …” teen struggles with his words. ‘This isn't exactly the reaction I expected. How am I supposed to answer that?!’</p>
<p>“But the Fire Nation is-” Yue stats,  but Sokka interrupts her.</p>
<p>“Wait! I’m not with the Fire Nation. I’m traveling around with Aang to fight them, remember?”</p>
<p>She is silent for a while, her body tense. Sokka can almost feel both her mind and pulse race, trying to work with the information.</p>
<p>But that isn't the only thing. The spirits in the pond have stopped their circling again, seemingly disturbed by Yue’s situation, now giving off a pressuring aura in the firebender’s direction.</p>
<p>It takes a while till she raises her voice again. “...Then why? I didn't even know there were firebenders outside the Fire Nation.”</p>
<p>“I told you about the raids, didn't I?” Sokka asks her, she nods in confirmation, staying silent. </p>
<p>“One time, when most of the little warriors we had left were out hunting for the winter, the village was attacked. They overwhelmed the guard and one of them found mom alone. No one was able to save her, and I happened.” He slowly raises his eyes, meeting Yue’s shocked expression.</p>
<p>“That's horrible…” Her voice is nothing more than a breath. “I didn't know about the south... We should have done something! I should have-”</p>
<p>“No.” Sokka interrupts her. “Don't take this on yourself. This isn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented this. I know you would have helped the south if you could, but these idiot old men don’t even let you choose your own partner! They just treat you like a brittle ice flower!”</p>
<p>He regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean it like that-”</p>
<p>“You should not be. You are right after all.“ She says, interrupting the teen. “How was your sister even able to learn waterbending in the first place?”</p>
<p>“After the attacks got harder, we just didn't really have a choice but to ignore some of the traditions, and after the warriors went away to fight the Fire Nation, leaving me as the substitute village leader, we straight up ignored most. I don't know how the warriors will react once they return home, what they will think, but I am sure I did the right thing. These stupid old ruled should have been forgotten long ago.”</p>
<p>Silence falls over the sanctuary, as if mirroring Yue’s emotions. </p>
<p>“I’m jealous.” She says after a while, her voice is weak. “You did so many incredible things, even helping the avatar, and I’ve just been sitting around in this palace my whole life. … I’m such a bad excuse of royalty.”</p>
<p>“No Yue! You are-” Sokka tries, but the princess interrupts him.</p>
<p>“Stop. You don't have to say that. We both know it’s a lie.” She finishes, falling into silence.</p>
<p>Sokka watches as she lets her shoulder drop, tears pooling in her eyes, but she refuses to let them drop.</p>
<p>He gently sets his hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a warm hug. “Even if it is like that now, I know you won't let it stay like that. You have what it takes to be a true leader. You are smart, strong and kind. Even the spirits like you. I know you can show these old men how it's done if you put your mind to it!” He tries to give her a small smile.</p>
<p>“I know once you are in charge here, things will be different. You can lead the northern water tribe to the freedom it deserves.” </p>
<p>Her grip on Sokka tightens. “But what about the engagement?”</p>
<p>“Pah. As if those men would be able to do anything when you protest. If it comes down to it, just tell them you want to ask the spirits for their judgement. I can assure you they will be on your side.” The teen tells her, giving a small glance to the two spirits swimming in the pond.</p>
<p>The white wish makes a swift movement, its aura flickering in a way that Sokka can only interpret as ‘You bet I am.’. The firebender can't help but crack a smile at that.</p>
<p>“Well, you are the one with the spirit world experience.” She says, a smile finally returning on her face. </p>
<p>She lets herself drop back into the embrace, burying her head in the boy’s neck. </p>
<p>“You are warm…” She tells him, relaxing for a moment before her head snaps up again. “Wait! The firebender thing! I’m sorry, I just started talking and-”</p>
<p>Sokka gives her a hearty laugh. “Calm down. I really sounded like you needed to get that out. I’m happy you told me.”</p>
<p>She sheepishly looks to the side. “Thanks… . So you are a firebender? I- I didn't think there were any firebender fighting against the FIre Nation.”</p>
<p>“I’m not the only one, actually!” He tells her, a grin on his face. “On our way here we met Jeong Jeong, a deserter of the Fire Nation army.  He even taught me how to properly firebend! Well, he started to. We were split up when admiral Zhao found us.”</p>
<p>“Wow. I didn't know there were good firebenders. The elders always taught us that all firebenders are evil. But I guess if you are one too, they can't all be that bad.” She gives him a warm smile.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” He tells her, his face turning red as he turns his face to the side. “But please don't tell anyone about this yet. I don't know how they will react, and I'm not willing to take the risk.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry. The secret is safe with me.” She tells him, standing up from the pond.</p>
<p>Sokka follows to stand beside her, stretching his arms. “But let's get out for now, the people will probably worry if they don't see us for too long.”</p>
<p>Yue nods and the two make their way out of the oasis, the firebender already missing the warm air as he reaches the exit. He lowers his head in a farewell to the spirits and stepps through the hatch.</p>
<p>Yue is already waiting for him on the other side, giving him a curious glance. “We still have some time till they expect me back, so … do you have an idea what we can do?”</p>
<p>Sokka lets his thoughts strive, and soon an idea pops into his head. “Have I told you about my good friend Appa before?” He asks her with a grin on his face.</p>
<p>______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The walk to Appa’s accommodation doesn't take long. It is right beside that of the trio’s, for obvious reasons, so Sokka has no problems finding the way.</p>
<p>The bison is currently eating from a big pile of seaweed, looking really satisfied with his food. He gives a growl as the firebender approaches, looking happy with the attention.</p>
<p>“Appa and I go way back, don't we, boy?” Sokka asks. The bison tackles the teen to the ground, licking him from head to toe, covering his entire body with goo.</p>
<p>Well, at least it made Yue laugh. She definitely doesn't get enough of that. “Looks like you haven't given Appa enough attention.” She tells the firebender, a giggle escaping her lips.</p>
<p>Sokka does his best to clean off his cloth and climbs onto the animal's back, holding out his hand to Yue to help her up as well.</p>
<p>“So how does this work?” She asks as she settles into the saddle.</p>
<p>“Are you hanging on tight?” Sokka just asks. Yue nods, her grip on the saddle tightening.</p>
<p>“Well then.” The firebender says, a grin on his face. “Yip. Yip.”</p>
<p>Appa don't waste any time to follow the command, rising up into the sky. Sokka does his best to make him go slow, trying not to scare Yue, but his worry seems to be for nothing if her elated calls are anything to go by.</p>
<p>“This is amazing!” She tells him with stars in her eyes. “I can't believe you get to do this every day:”</p>
<p>“Well, the view is amazing, but you don't want to know how often we fly into swarms of bugs as soon as the climate turns warmer. I think by now I must have swallowed buckets of them.” He says, getting another laugh out of the princess.</p>
<p>For a while they just silently fly through the sky, taking in the view as the northern winds blow around their faces.</p>
<p>“Is it always this cold up here?” Yue asks, inconspicuously moving closer to Sokka.</p>
<p>“Not if you are with someone.” Sokka tells her, his face turning red. “But I can tell you, as a firebender the temperatures are definitely not fun. I still don't know how Aang and Katara handle it.”</p>
<p>Yue gives him another smile, and Sokka is about to continue when something catches his attention at the edge of his view.</p>
<p>He whips his head around to see a black snowflake fall onto Appa’s fur, melting as soon as it touches the animal.</p>
<p>The boy raises his eyes to the sky, and the image is letting his heart drop.</p>
<p>“What’s happening?” Yue asks, the worry strong in her voice.</p>
<p>“It’s soot mixed with snow.” The firebender tells her, his voice hard. “That means the Fire Nation is preparing their attack. They are closing in on the north pole. And from the look of this stuff, there are a lot of them… Far too many.”</p>
<p>He tells her, his eyes locked to the dark clouds rising from the horizon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've thrown around the order of how they were shown in this episode and the next one, but with Sokka in the focus it just seemed fitting.</p>
<p>I thought a while about how Yue would react, and this seemed to fit, considering her only contact with with the Fire Nation at that time would have been through stories and not actual confrontations. Even if I am starting to feel like I let Sokka off a bit too easily with telling people about his bending. It just happens to be that the only people he tells it to are kind/intelligent.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Siege of the North Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the Fire Nation draws near the gaang prepares, promising each other to win, no matter what.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka and Yue are flying back to the city as fast as Appa can manage, trying to warn the people of the attack as the black snow continues to fall from the sky.</p>
<p>‘Why couldn't they have left us at least some time to prepare, or for Aang to master waterbending? Couldn't they have given us even a week?!’</p>
<p>As they approach the palace of the northern watertribe the people seem to have already fallen into a panik, the black snow having reached the place before Yue and Sokka.</p>
<p>The people run up the stairs to the meeting hall, as drums hall through the city, calling out to the entire population. </p>
<p>The two don't waste any time following them, Yue runs to join the royalty on the pedestal while Sokka searches for Katara and Aang.</p>
<p>The airbender's orange clothing is easy to spot in the sea of blue, sitting beside one of the pillars right in front of the chief.</p>
<p>“The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep.” The man announces, gaining the attention of every person in the room. </p>
<p>“It is with great sadness that I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe.”</p>
<p>‘Yeash, what a way to motivate them before a great battle. It’s the truth, but still. But I can't really complain, I am even worse at giving speeches.’</p>
<p>“But they will never vanish from our hearts.” The chief finishes.</p>
<p>Two men approach him from the side carrying what looks to be bowels of war paint. “Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call about the great spirits.”</p>
<p>Sokka can see how many of the eyes of the people drift to Yue, the princess’ shoulders stiffening in response.</p>
<p>“Spirit of the ocean, spirit of the moon, be with us!” Yue’s father calls into the room. “I’m going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission. But be prepared, many of you will not return.”</p>
<p>For a moment Sokka looks around the people as they exchange hesitant glances. ‘Someone has to start…’ </p>
<p>“Count me in.” He announces to the room, and soon other warriors join in, volunteering for the mission.</p>
<p>“Sokka.” His sister calls from beside him, trying to stop him, but he just shakes his head.</p>
<p>“Someone has to do it, and if this is the mission I expect it to be, then I will be the best fit for it.” he tells her, hoping that it really is the infiltration mission he expects it to be. </p>
<p>‘If our confrontations with the Fire Nation have taught me anything, then it is that these guys would never expect a firebender to be part of their enemies.’</p>
<p>He steps forward with the other men, receiving a red mark by the chief on his forehead. </p>
<p>He tries his best to ignore the sad glance Yue gives him, trying and failing to hold back the tears.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He and the other warriors (including Katara and Aang) gather at the wall protecting the city, keeping their eyes open for any ships. It doesn't take long till Sokka can feel a source of heat approach from the horizon as a cloud of soot rises into the sky. </p>
<p>But before the ship comes into range of any of the water tribes attacks, it comes to a halt, firing its catapult at the wall.</p>
<p>The projectile looks even bigger than the ones Zhao shot at them when they tried to reach avatar Roku’s temple, but now Sokka has a far better control than before.</p>
<p>“Aang, make it look like you are doing something.” the water tribe boy half whispers as he takes control of the flame.</p>
<p>Aang seems to understand immediately, nodding as he extends his hands to the projectile. </p>
<p>Sokka reaches out to the flames, strengthening them at the front of the bolder, creating a jet of flames to slow it down. It is harder with the low temperatures, but he can feel Aang do the same, and with their combined power it drops into the ocean before even coming close to the wall.</p>
<p>But that doesn't seem to stop the enemy soldiers, as they don’t waste any time to follow up with another shot.</p>
<p>The two repeat their actions, but this time the impact was closer to them then Sokka is comfortable with.</p>
<p>“We have to do something about the ship!” He calls to Aang, getting his attention. “Let’s take the battle to them!” ‘Here we are sitting turtle ducks and I can’t use even the smallest bending move without looking suspicious.’</p>
<p>The airbender gives him a grin and calls for Appa, Sokka and Katara jumping onto the bison’s back as it flies in front of the wall.</p>
<p>Just as they rise into the air the ship takes another shot, but now Sokka can move without getting the other warriors attention, the height advantage blocking their view.</p>
<p>He throws out his hands, and grabs a hold of the foreign flame. He can almost feel the stench of the burning tar, but he pushes through it, creating an enormous blast on the front of the bolder, shooting it back to the ship.</p>
<p>Even from this distance Sokka can see the shock on the soldiers faces as their own projectile takes out one of the catapults, leaving behind a smoldering crater in the deck.</p>
<p>“Woohoo! Give it to them!” Aang calls from the side, unfolding his staff as he jumps from Appa’s back. The airbender flies ahead of the other two, taking out two more catapults by binding their chains together.</p>
<p>But by the time the siblings reach the boat, the avatar is already surrounded by a bunch of soldiers. </p>
<p>Appa flies down to the deck, headbutting multiple soldiers of the ship with one hit, as the two siblings jump from his back.</p>
<p>Katara bends a sphere of water out of the ocean and lets it swirl around her body, easily blocking the incoming fireballs. She forms a part of it into a whip, latching onto the firebenders' legs and throwing them off board one by one.</p>
<p>Sokka rushes the firebenders, easily knocking out one with his club. ‘The other warriors are already getting closer and Aang is on the opposite side of the ship. I should hold back with bending again. And I don't know how well the main fleet can monitor us from that distance.’</p>
<p>He throws a glance to the other ships in the distance, fearfully taking in their numbers. ‘It would really help to know how good their telescopes are.’ He thinks, knocking out a soldier with a hit of his club.</p>
<p>One of the enemies tries to retaliate by shooting a fireball at Sokka, but that was a mistake.</p>
<p>Before it even properly leaves the man's hand, the teen takes control of it, making it erupt into the man’s face, throwing him to the side. </p>
<p>Sokka takes this moment of confusion under the soldiers and gives the man another strong whack on the head, just making sure he really is down. </p>
<p>‘at least I’m not the only one with weaker control because of the cold.’</p>
<p>He is about to advance to another soldier when a tremor hits the ship getting tilted to the side as an iceberg grows from under it. </p>
<p>The teen only just manages to hold his balance as the soldiers fall onto the railing, getting swept off into the ocean by a well placed waterbending move of his sister.</p>
<p>She stands close behind him, her feet frozen to the ground to easily keep her balance, holding out her hand to help Sokka do the same.</p>
<p>Appa swoops in just when Sokka is about to lose his footing, raising up the siblings into the sky. Aang is already sitting on the bison's head, a solemn look on his face as he takes in the fire Nation fleet in front of him.</p>
<p>“This time I won't fail. I won't let the Fire Nation destroy this place.” The boy says in a determined voice, taking in the massive fleet in front of him.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his hand fall onto the boy's shoulder. “I know you won’t.” the firebender tells him, and he can feel the boy relax a bit under his touch.</p>
<p>The boy gives the siblings a small but genuine smile as they head for the next ship nearing the southern water tribe.</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The trio continues their attack on the ships that come dangerously close to the city, trying to take them out before they are able to reach the city with their catapults, but the exhaustion is starting to catch up on them.</p>
<p>“Lets fly back for now.” Katara tells them, her breath heavy. “I am sure the water tribe can take care of them on their own for a while. The attack is slowing down anyway. Even the Fire Nation won’t attack during the night.”</p>
<p>And Sokka can't agree more. He has already used up more energy than he probably should. But together they managed to take out multiple ships already, which is a pretty impressive achievement of three kids.</p>
<p>Well, it would have been harder if the Fire Nation didn’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again. So the three were responding by doing the same thing, because somehow it kept working.</p>
<p>‘I mean seriously, why did they keep firing their catapults like that when they are getting boarded?! Didn't they see what happened to the last ships?! Even Zuko was able to learn from his mistakes, and he was pretty much in a constant state of anger!’</p>
<p>Sokka surprised himself with the thought about the prince, letting his eyes drift over the navy as they fly back.</p>
<p>The firebender doesn't spot Zuko’s ship in the armada. He is pretty sure he would recognize it. The prince’s vessel is surprisingly small, dwarfing most of the others.</p>
<p>‘Maybe it is because of maneuverability? It would definitely have made sense while he was at the south pole. Not that these guys seem to care about that. But I have some doubts about their tactics anyway.’</p>
<p>And he means it. Who in his right mind would send out single ships into combat if you could just overwhelm your enemies with a single assault? Maybe there is a hidden strategy behind this? If there is, Sokka definitely can't see it.</p>
<p>‘Maybe some political reasons?’ he muses. ‘Trying to get rid of competition?’</p>
<p>By now they have spotted Zhao on the vessel at the center of the fleet, using one of the enemy's telescopes, which is now the newest addition to Sokka’s equipment bag, together with four substitutes. He can't just throw something this useful away if it falls into his hands!</p>
<p>Anyway, they soon land on the wall of the southern water tribe. It has taken a handful of hits, but is still holding out well, constantly getting repaired by the waterbenders during the attacks.</p>
<p>Luckily for them, the sun is just beginning to dip under the horizon, the days not being this long during the current time of the year, and they don't see any new ships approach.</p>
<p>When the warriors are called to a meeting with the chief, Sokka doesn't waste time to follow them. And thank the spirits he did.</p>
<p>“We will use these uniforms to infiltrate the Fire Nation ships.” He announces, and Sokka can’t help the snort escaping his mouth.</p>
<p>“What is so funny?!” The guy dressed up in the armor asks, his voice hostile.</p>
<p>Sokka is barely able to stop himself from laughing again as he speaks. ”When did  you get these armors? Like a hundred years ago?”</p>
<p>“85 years…” The chief admits, tanking the whole thing rather composed.</p>
<p>“The current Fire Nation uniforms don't look like that anymore.” Sokka explains as he steps in front of the people. </p>
<p>“The never uniforms don't have shoulder spikes. The whole design is more streamlined than this.” he tells them, running his finger over one of the spikes, surprised by the fact that it is really elastic and soft.</p>
<p>“How do we know we can trust this guy? Such bold talk from a new recruit.” The teen in the armor asks the chief, giving Sokka a side eye.</p>
<p>“Sokka is from our sister tribe, Hahn. He is a capable warrior and I value his input. Additionally, he is one of the avatar’s companions.” Yue’s father says, and Sokka can help but be proud, sending a smug face to the teen beside him.</p>
<p>“Now, our first objective is to determine the identity of the commanding officer.” The chief says, turning to the other warriors again.</p>
<p>“His name is Zhao.” Sokka simply says. They could have really asked Aang, Katara or him about any of this beforehand.</p>
<p>“I saw him with a telescope while we picked off the ship. We had problems with the guy before, but it looks like he got a promotion.” He finishes, looking into the shocked faces of the warriors.</p>
<p>“I guess I could describe him if someone can draw a picture of him?” Sokka asks the chief.</p>
<p>“Please do.” He says to Sokka, turning to another warrior. “You go get Taka. And fast, we need it ready before we set out.”</p>
<p>The warrior nods immediately, sprinting out of the building as Yue’s father turns back to Sokka.</p>
<p>“Any more important information?” He asks water tribe teen, his interest sounding genuine.</p>
<p>“Well, he is probably on the flag ship. You can spot it pretty easily by the higher watchtower. As far as I know the guy has pretty bad self control? So that might influence his battle strategy. But I guess that's all I have.”</p>
<p>The chief gives Sokka a grateful smile. “No, thank you. That was already a great help.”</p>
<p>In that moment the warrior returns, bringing a woman behind him he assumes to be the said Taka.</p>
<p>She and Sokka sit down at the other side of the training hall while the other warriors continue with their meeting. Sokka does his best to describe the admiral to her, and to his amazement she creates an almost perfect image of the general right in front of his eyes.</p>
<p>“This is it. This is exactly him. This is amazing! How did you even do that?” He asks her as he takes the image into his hands. He couldn't create this if they had given him days! </p>
<p>He actually can't help but be a bit jealous. … Well, at least he still has his carving. No one can match him in that! … He hopes, sending slightly suspicious eyes to the woman beside him.</p>
<p>She luckily doesn't seem to notice as she takes the portrait from him and hands it over to the chief.</p>
<p>“Very well. Good work you two.” He tells them, beginning to show around the picture under the warriors as they sharpen their blades.</p>
<p>Sokka sits down with them, taking out his own spear as he tries to do the same. Only as he turns to the side he notices who he placed himself beside.</p>
<p>“Don't think you are the new big thing just because you had a bit of information.” Hahn tells  him. Sokka already doesn't like the guy.</p>
<p>The firebender is just about to retort when the chief approaches them. “Hahn, show Sokka some respect. I expect nothing less from my future son in law.”</p>
<p>‘Wait, son in law. Does that mean…’ “You are the guy princess Yue is supposed to marry?” ‘No wonder she hates it so much.’</p>
<p>“Yeah. What of it?” The other answers, his voice defensive. </p>
<p>‘Yeah I probably should not antagonize him. We have bigger problems right now.’ Sokka thinks of calming himself down with a deep breath. </p>
<p>“Nothing. Congratulations.” He forces himself to say.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I really got the top prize with that one. Yue really is the finest, and most importantly, she comes with the most perks.” </p>
<p>“Perks?! What does that mean?!” </p>
<p>“I mean- Yue is nice and everything, but the points I will gain with the chief aren't bad either.” Hahn tells him with a disgusting grin.</p>
<p>At this point Sokka cant hold his frustration back anymore. Seriously! What is wrong with that guy?! “Princess Yue is wasted on a self absorbed guy like you.”</p>
<p>“Whoa, hang on. What do you care? You are just a simple rube from the southern watertribe. What would you know about the political complexities of our life? … No offence.” He finishes in a smug voice.</p>
<p>And that was as much as Sokka could take.</p>
<p>With a scream he jumps the other teen, pinning him to the ground with one swift motion.</p>
<p>“Yeah! I might not know much about all of their political marriage stuff, but I know that a person should be free to choose their future and not be forced into a relationship in which they will suffer their whole life!” He shouts at the other teen while grabbing his collar.</p>
<p>They continue to roll on the floor, each one trying and failing to take control of the situation, all proper fighting techniques forgotten.</p>
<p>“That’s enough!” comes a harsh voice from behind them, and Sokka feels himself get dragged away by his hood by who he now realizes is the chief.</p>
<p>“Sokka! You are off the mission!” The man says, giving the firebender a harsh glare.</p>
<p>Hahn smugly fixes his cloth before he addresses the warriors. “All right! Fall in, men! Everybody listen to what I say and we will take out this admiral Cho in no time.” He announces and walks out of the building with a grin on his face. </p>
<p>At least some of the warriors seem frustrated too for having to work under this prick. But that wasn't really enough consultation for the firebender. ‘And he didn't even listen to the name. And I didn't see him look at the picture either. I hope the warriors just do their own thing.’</p>
<p>Sokka steps out of the other door with a frustrated look on his face. He feels the flames build up in his body, responding to his anger, but holds them back. ‘This is not the place to let loose of your emotions.’</p>
<p>He takes a deep breath, calming his flame down, but his feelings are still in disarray.</p>
<p>‘What am I supposed to do now?’ He asks himself. ‘I should try to find Aang. That boy always has some kind of problem following him. Maybe we could talk about our tactik for tomorrow.’</p>
<p>So he begins to stalk through the empty streets of the city, keeping his ears sharp for anything that would indicate the boy's presence, when suddenly a loud splash in a sidealley catches his attention.</p>
<p>‘Did someone fall into the canal?’ He runs to the sound, keeping his eyes focused in the darkness to not suffer the same fate.</p>
<p>But what he spots when he turns the corner isn't exactly the thing he expects.</p>
<p>On the ground of the path lies a very familiar Fire Nation prince, heavily breathing out flames in an attempt to heat his boy. And with success it seems, because in the moments Sokka needs to collect himself the prince jumps up already and throws a fireball at the other teen.</p>
<p>But that shakes the water tribe boy out of his shock. With just enough time to react he moves the fireball to the side, the flames barely missing his body.</p>
<p>The sizzling of the fireballs impact fills the quiet alley as the two boys focus on each other. </p>
<p>‘Why did I even think we would get away from Zuko by going to the north pole? Why would water so cold it can easily kill a firebender stop him anyway? Wait, how did he even get in-’</p>
<p>The thoughts give way to shock as he sees the molten hole in the ice and the dripping wet cloth of the prince.</p>
<p>“Did you fucking dive into the city?!” He shouts. “This can kill you! How in the spirit's name did you even survive?!”</p>
<p>Shock settles in the prince's eyes as he takes in the voice. He pinches his eyes, like he has trouble to focus on the other boy, only now realizing who stands in front of him.</p>
<p>‘Looks like the cold did quite a number in him. Even he can't just shrug off the pole’s waters. … Wait! Enemy! Concentrate!’</p>
<p>“What are you doing here!?” He shouts, going into a fighting position. ‘Yeah good start Sokka, what could he be doing here.’</p>
<p>Zuko lets out a breath of flames and focuses on the other teen. “You can't stop me, Sokka. I will capture the avatar!” He shouts and throws a fireball at Sokka.</p>
<p>The teen catches the flame in his hands and throws it back at his attacker, now with even more heat than before. </p>
<p>Zuko dodges to the side, the flame hitting the wall and erupting into a cloud of steam as it hits the ice. Sokka flinches back as the hot wave of steam hits into his face, throwing up a wall of flames to protect himself from a possible surprise attack, but his surroundings stay silent. Too silent.</p>
<p>Sokka lowers his defensive wall and looks around for the prince only to find the alley empty.</p>
<p>‘Shit! He got away!’ Sokka curses, running out of the alley. </p>
<p>“Where did he go?” the firebender mumbles as he runs down the street. Zuko couldn't have gotten that far, right? But he can't really be sure of anything with that guy.</p>
<p>He climbs onto a nearby building, trying to get a better view, but he still doesn't spot anything once he reaches the roof, the frustration continuing to build up in him.</p>
<p>‘This is bad. I have to find Aang before Zuko does. Who knows what could happen to him.’ </p>
<p>The teen sprints to the outer wall in an attempt to find the airbender, but the wall is only occupied by the benders of the southern water tribe, watching over the ocean. Sokka can hear them talk over the soldiers that went out to infiltrate the ships.</p>
<p>But even if he should be worried about them, Aang is the higher priority. </p>
<p>Luckily the Fire Nation hasn't resumed their attack already, but he doubts the quiet will last long.</p>
<p>Sokka runs back into the city as the sun slowly rises over the horizon. He has just passed Appa’s stables when he hears someone shouting his name in the distance.</p>
<p>Following the sound he spots Yue running to him from the north. “Sokka! You have to help! This Firebender attacked us while we were at the oasis! Katara said his name was Zuko!”</p>
<p>‘Of course he did. How does that guy always find Aang?!’ Sokka is about to start running when he hears Appa cry out beside him, giving the firebender a determined look.</p>
<p>“You in buddy?” He asks the bison, who gives him an affirmative huff in response. </p>
<p>The firebender jumps onto Appa’s back, the animal rising into the air immediately, only dipping down a bit so Sokka can grab Yue’s hand and drag her into the saddle.</p>
<p>“We have to hurry. The Fire Nation will continue their attack as soon as the sun is high enough.” He tells Yue as they land into the spirit oasis, getting greeted by a tense silence.</p>
<p>He sees how his sister stands up from the ground, looking around while shouting Aang’s name.</p>
<p>“Katar! What happened? Where is Zuko?” He asks his sister as he jumps from Appa.</p>
<p>His sister seems to thankfully be unhurt, if visibly disturbed. “He took Aang … He took him from right under my nose. And he couldn't protect himself because he went to the spirit world.”</p>
<p>“Don't worry. We will get him back. Luckily Zuko only wants to capture him.” He tells his sister. “But why was Aang in the spirit world?”</p>
<p>“He went into the spirit world to try to get the help of the moon and ocean spirits. Maybe they could help us against the Fire Nation army.” Katara tells him, glancing to the coast where the ships are.</p>
<p>“Why would he go into the spirit world to do that?” Sokka asks, confused.</p>
<p>“How else were we supposed to find them?” Katara asks him, trying to sound defensive but it just comes out tired.</p>
<p>‘Oh by the spirits they really don't know.’ “Because they are right in front of you!” He says, pointing at the pond. “Why does no one ever talk to me!? And how do you not know that they are the moon and ocean spirits?!” He asks, turning to Yue.</p>
<p>Yue just seems confused. “They- They are? These are the spirits?” She asks as she looks to the pond.</p>
<p>“Well, I don't know if this is their real form, but they definitely feel like it!” He tells them, one of the fish sending out a wave of what feels like a confirmation. He really wishes the others would feel that.</p>
<p>“Anyway, we have to move. Every second Zuko gets further away from here.” He tells them as he climbs back onto Appa.</p>
<p>“Yip Yip!” He calls one the other two joined him on the animals back, rising into the cold sky above.</p>
<p>In the distance he can see the fire Nation start with their attack, the cries of battle reaching till here. </p>
<p>But time is in their favor. The Fire Nation attacked during a bad time. Being close to winter the days are short, and now that they entered the ground the retreat will be even harder. They only have to hold on till the sun sets.</p>
<p>Oh, if he survives this Sokka will sleep for three days straight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m sorry! I decided to split it because if I continue to write long chapters I will mess up my writing schedule, especially now with university again. Anyway, I hope you like it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Siege of the North Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The battle on the north pole goes into its final stage, and every decision could decide the tide of battle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wind is cold once they fly out of the oasis, both no longer protected by the cliffs and the spiritual energy.</p>
<p>The blizzard whips into the firebenders face, the snowflakes melting as soon as it hits his face but drawing out the little heat he managed to save up. </p>
<p>He lets his eyes gaze over the barren, grey landscape, not a single living being in sight. His eyes drift over the snow, trying to pick up any trail, but he can't pick up on anything, the soft snow hiding any steps immediately, and the one falling from the sky doing the rest.</p>
<p>They fly aimlessly through the blizzard, each of them looking out into the icy terrain in an attempt to see even a glimpse of Aang or the prince.</p>
<p>Yue is the first to raise her voice. “Don't worry. Prince Zuko can’t be getting too far in this weather.”</p>
<p>“I’m not worried that they will get away in the blizzard.” Katara tells the princess. “I’m worried that they won't.”</p>
<p>The image of the two frozen in these icy plains sends a cold shower down Sokka’s back. He knows how painful the cold can be for a firebender. But he somehow can't imagine Zuko losing to any kind of storm.</p>
<p>“They aren't gonna die in this blizzard.” He tells the two girls. “If we know anything, it’s that Zuko never gives up.” And wow he hopes the sudden burst of trust in the Fire Nation prince isn't misplaced.</p>
<p>“They will survive, and we will find them. No matter what it takes.” He tells the others, tightly gripping Appa’s reins.</p>
<p>Luckily that seems to calm the other two passengers a bit. </p>
<p>But that alone doesn't help with their search. The blizzard continues with its relentless assault, narrowing their view.</p>
<p>By now the setting sun has been replaced by the moon looming over the horizon, somehow visible even through the falling snow.</p>
<p>‘The Fire Nation really chose a bad time to attack. I know they had not much choice with Aang being here now, but still. This is hard for me and I am probably far more used to the cold and lack of sun then them.’</p>
<p>Just as Sokka finishes the thought a blinding light rushes over the sky, giving of a very familiar feeling.</p>
<p>“That’s Aang!” He tells the girls. “Appa! Follow it at full speed!” Luckily for them it hits the earth within their point of view, flying into a small cave under a slab of stone they would definitely have missed otherwise.</p>
<p>They reach the hollow just in time to spot Aang flying out of it, a blast of his air sending him flying into the soft snow. </p>
<p>Zuko is running after him, picking the kid up by the ropes binding him. But he seems to be unaware of their presence till now. Sokka uses that opening and throws a fireball beside the two, throwing up a cloud of steam as he jumps from the bison and grabs the immobile airbender.</p>
<p>“Sokka!” The kid shouts happily as the water tribe boy drags him away from Zuko, Katara placing herself between the two teens as she blocks one of the enemies fireballs.</p>
<p>“Here for a rematch?” Zuko asks her, his voice confident, seemingly unaware of the waterbender empowering full moon glowing over him.</p>
<p>“Trust me, Zuko. It’s not gonna be much of a match.” She says, easily blocking his weakened fire, retaliating by letting the ice and snow under the firebender erupt into the sky, before slamming him down into the icy ground, knocking him out instantly.</p>
<p>Sokka kinda feels bad for him. He has been on the receiving end of that once, and that was before Katara got proper training and outside a full moon.</p>
<p>He runs to Aang and cuts the rope, freeing the airbender’s hands and legs. He also pockets the rope. It can be quite hard to get some quality material after all!</p>
<p>“We need to get to the oasis, and fast!” The avatar tells them while he jumps into Appa’s back, the other following him hastily. “The spirits are in trouble! Yip Yip Appa! Full speed!”</p>
<p>Then Aang's eyes fall on the unmoving Zuko. “Wait, we can leave him here.”</p>
<p>And yeah, letting him freeze to death while he is unconscious in this icy plain seems cruel to Sokka too. He jumps down with Aang, ignoring Katara’s angry stare, and throws Zuko into Appa’s saddle.</p>
<p>Suddenly Aang's head snaps to Sokka, a thought rushing through the boy's head. “And how in the Spirit's name did you meet Koh?! That was you he talked about, right?!” He shouts. The firebender just shrugs. This is something that should wait for after the battle.</p>
<p>They rise back into the sky, making their way back to the city when Sokka feels it.</p>
<p>His whole body flinches as the sky turns red, his skin crawling under what feels like a silent scream, flowing through his blood and bones.</p>
<p>Yue too seems to be affected by it, holding her head as if a headache is splitting it in two.</p>
<p>“By the spirits. What did the Fire Nation do?!” Sokka shouts. His eyes turning to the city that grows bigger in the distance. “Yue, are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I feel faint.” She admits, and if she feels anything like she looks that is quite the understatement. </p>
<p>“I feel it too.” Aang tells them, the pain visible in his face.</p>
<p>“It's because of your link with the spirits. They did something to them already, but it's not too late. I can still feel it, even if it's suffering. Don't worry. We will take care of it.” He promises, setting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.</p>
<p>But the moment doesn't last long, and Appa dives down into the oasis with great speed.</p>
<p>They find Zhao during what seems to be him holding a speech to himself. Momo uses that as an advantage, jumping onto the man's head and giving Appa enough time to land safely.</p>
<p>The kids jump off immediately, going into a fighting position as Momo returns to Aang’s shoulder. </p>
<p>“Don't bother.” The admiral tells them, rising his fist to the bag that Sokka feels the moon spirit in.</p>
<p>“Zhao, don’t!” Aang says, dropping his staff. “Destroying the moon spirit won't only hurt the water tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you.” He tells the man with a surprising calmness in his voice. But Sokka can hear the boy’s nervous heartbeat from beside him.</p>
<p>“Without the moon, everything will fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world.”</p>
<p>“He is right, Zhao.” Suddenly comes a hard voice from the shadows, revealing Iroh as he stepps out of the darkness. </p>
<p>“General Iroh. Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?” He asks the old man. </p>
<p>“I’m no traitor, Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to the spirit, I’ll unleash on you tenfold! Let it go now!” He shouts, giving of an aura so scary Sokka would have never believed possible for the old man.</p>
<p>The admiral looks shaken, rightfully so in Sokka’s opinion, but still hesitates. Still not enough.</p>
<p>“If you kill the moon spirit,” Sokka starts, “They won't celebrate you being a hero, only see you as the man who threw the world, including the Fire Nation, into chaos.” </p>
<p>Slowly they can see the fighting spirit leave his eyes, lowering the bag with the moon spirit to the ground and letting it swim free.</p>
<p>Sokka let out a relieved breath as he spots the koi join its partner in the pond. But the peace is short lived.</p>
<p>Suddenly he feels the heat erupts from Zhao’s body. Sokka reaches out with his energy as the fire grows in the man's hands, trying to stop the flame from reaching the pond. </p>
<p>But he is too late, his inner flames too weakened from the cold.</p>
<p>The anger filled attack hits the pond full force, rupturing the water in two, steam erupting from the impact</p>
<p>Sokka can feel the spirit's death before the mist even clears.</p>
<p>A wave of pure energy slams into his body as the colours fade around him. It whips around the teen like a storm of concentrated pain and anguish, as if to rip into his very being.</p>
<p>He is dragged out his pain induced trance by the fireballs Iroh shoots at Zhao, the admiral immediately attempting to flee while his soldiers try to stop Zuko’s uncle.</p>
<p>But with lightning quick speed they are all knocked out, with so much precision Sokka thought to be impossible.</p>
<p>But that doesn't stop the wrath filled aura released by the black koi. And why would it? The spirit continues to circle it’s lifeless partener, the energy released from its body growing more and more.</p>
<p>Iroh quietly takes the lifeless body out of the water, his tough gentle. To Sokka’s surprise the spirits let him, the older man's actions seemingly even calming the koi.</p>
<p>“There is no hope now. It’s over.” Yue says, her voice weak as she lets her body collapse into Sokka’s amrs.</p>
<p>But by now the energy emitting from the black spirits equals a storm, flowing around aimlessly till now, it suddenly stops, gathering in Aang standing beside him. It sinks into the avatar's body like an entire ocean getting gaterherd in one point.</p>
<p>“No, It’s not over.” His voice is layered, combined with that of the ocean spirit, and Sokka feels his entire body shiver, a primal fear flowing through his veins.</p>
<p>The boy’s tattoos start glowing in a bright and pure light as he steps into the pond, the spirit circling around his legs as he brings around his hands in front of his heart.</p>
<p>Small splotches of colour return to the oasis as the spirit’s eyes  begin to glow too, the energy flowing between Aang and them causing Sokka to take a step back.</p>
<p>Suddenly the airbender is dragged down into the now pitch black depth of the pond, blue glowing markings spreading over the raging water, forcing it to flow to the exits of the oasis, its light spreading through the surrounding.</p>
<p>The liquid piles up into a hulking form, resembling the koi itself as it towers over the water tribe palace, the entire city dyed in its sapphire blue shine. </p>
<p>As the combined form of Aang and the spirit leaves into the city, Sokka takes in a sharp breath, the pressure of the energy lessening enough to give him back control over his body.</p>
<p>But the spirit’s pressure continues to flood out of them, almost feeling like electric shocks running over the firebender’s skin.</p>
<p>The silence after the spirits departure is interrupted by the gentle sound of Iroh wiping away the ash from the moon spirit’s scales.</p>
<p>“It is too late. It's dead.” His sister's voice is weak as her eyes linger on the lifeless koi. </p>
<p>Suddenly Iroh’s head snaps to Yue, the princess still in Sokka’s arms. “You have been touched by the moon spirit. Some of its life is still within you.” Sounding surprised about the words leaving his own lips.</p>
<p>“Yes, you are right...” the princess tells them, freeing herself from Sokka’s arms, a sad realization flowing into her eyes. “It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back.” </p>
<p>“No!” The watertribe teen calls after her, trying to grab her hand, but he knows what is about to happen. Has to happen.</p>
<p>“It’s my duty Sokka. You know that as well as I do.” She says, her back still turned to him.</p>
<p>Sokka slowly lets go of her hand as the tears begin to flow out of his eyes, every possible word dying before it leaves his mouth. His hand feels ice cold as soon as he loses the touch, as if tuning into the coldest of glaciers.</p>
<p>“Thank you Sokka, for everything, but I have to do this.” She holds her hands over the motionless koi, a gentle blue light emitting from her body, flowing into the spirit.</p>
<p>It is weak, only a small shine in the darkness surrounding him, but Sokkka feels it in every fiber of his body. ‘Yue…’</p>
<p>She collapses as the light fades, a last breath leaving her lips as her body falls into Sokka’s arms.</p>
<p>The teen holds her body as he feels all energy leave her, turning as cold as the ice surrounding them.</p>
<p>“S-she is gone…” Sokka sobs out, the tears flowing out of his eyes, as her figure within his arms disappears as if it was just an illusion, only emptiness staying behind in the teen’s arms.</p>
<p>In that moment the spirit begins to glow, Iroh gently setting it back into the the pond as it returns to swimming around in the water.</p>
<p>Out of the light forms an image of Yue, a white dress flowing like the waves now covering her body. </p>
<p>“Goodbye Sokka. I’ll always be with you.” Her voice is sounding like it is coming from the depths of the sea as she leans down to the firebender, placing a gentle kiss on his lips as she disappears into the light of the moon.</p>
<p>“No… Please.” The tears continue to flow as he looks into the sky, his eyes focused on the place she disappeared. His whole body sags as he holds himself, weak cries leaving his body.</p>
<p>Katara walks up to him, laying her hand on his shoulder, but drawing it back immediately. A weak trail of flames seeps from Sokka’s body, dark and slow like burning tar, slowly dripping down his arms as the emotions rage through the teen’s mind, his inner flame responding in kind.</p>
<p>‘Why? Why do the people I care about always leave me behind?!’ The thoughts fly through his head as the flames grow stronger. </p>
<p>Katara takes a step back as the flames grow, now engulfing her brother completely, not letting her get any closer. “Sokka?! What is happening? Are you alright?”</p>
<p>But he doesn't hear her worry, the flames raging in his heart drowning out every other sound.</p>
<p>“You have to stop! Get your flames under control before you hurt yourself!” Iroh joins her, standing beside the girl, but his voice stays unheard too.</p>
<p>As the heat continues to flow around the water tribe boy, his despair slowly gives room to anger. ‘Why me?! Why does the world make me suffer like this?! First mom, then dad leaving, now Yue! And why did I even end up being a firebender?! Is it too much to ask or a normal and peaceful life?!’</p>
<p>His eyes fall back to the pond in front of him, barely visible through the flames at this point, but in his eyes Yue’s image floating above it is still clear. ‘Zhao! This is his fault! If it wasn't for him-!’</p>
<p>The formless swirling of the flames stops, coming to a near halt as the heat begins to grow even more, making his sister take a step back.</p>
<p>“I will not let that bastard get away with this!!!” He shouts, flames erupting from his legs, strengthened by all of the energy left behind by the spirits, jumping at the opportunity of being used, flowing into his body, together with other ancient energies settled around the boy.</p>
<p>The teen blasts himself over the wall separating the oasis from the city, the flames flowing from his arms to propel him in the air, his eyes searching the streets for anything that could lead him to Zhao.</p>
<p>From the corner of his vision he sees a burst of flames erupt from the upper ring of the city. Another powerful blast throws him into the direction, flying over the buildings in a blind rage.</p>
<p>As he is about to hit the ground he releases another blast from his feet, stopping his fall, immediately melting the ice under him, throwing up a cloud of steam from the newly formed puddle.</p>
<p>His eyes focus on the people in front of him. The prince was a surprise, but is ignored. It is not like Sokka actually expected him to just stay put anyway.</p>
<p>But as soon as he focuses on the other person in front of him, the flames erupt from his body. </p>
<p>“ZHAO!” He shouts out between his clenched teeth, rushing the man as the fire blasts from his whole body.</p>
<p>The admiral doesn't have enough time to react before the teen stands right in front of him, a glowing hot ball of flames exploding from both of his fists. The blast is easily strong enough to rip the admiral from his feet, throwing him into the wall behind, knocking the air out of his lungs.</p>
<p>Zhao couches as he tries to get back to his feet, the watertribe boy standing right in front of him, the flames flowing from his body as bright as the sun.</p>
<p>“Stand up!” Sokka shouts, sending a wave of heat from his body as angry tears flow down his face. Zhao throws up his hands in front of his face, attempting to stop the flames with his own.</p>
<p>But Sokka’s fire just swallows it, adding it to its own force, smashing through the wall as it gives out under the heat and pressure.</p>
<p>The teen steps into the ruined building, grabbing the lying admiral by his neck as the flames continue to flow out of him. The enemy firebender visibly recoils from the heat, the blaze biting into his skin, as he unsuccessfully tries to free himself from the boy’s fiery grasp.</p>
<p>But suddenly Sokka can feel something approaching from the coast of the city. Through the canal flows a stream of glowing water that Sokka now recognizes as the ocean spirit.</p>
<p>The waters pile up in the canal behind the two, forming a mixture between tendrils and hand. </p>
<p>Without hesitation Sokka grabs onto the older man, throwing him to the spirit with all his might, flames supporting his movement. </p>
<p>The admiral crashes into the glowing stream, the water immediately constricting around his body, not even giving the man enough space to struggle. The spirit gives off an anger filled aura, but the wrath isn't targeted at the boy in front of him.</p>
<p>With a dark satisfaction Sokka watches the hand slowly lower the admiral into the icy water. Whatever the spirit is planning, the teen knows the admiral will suffer more than anything Sokka could even imagine.</p>
<p>Suddenly he sees some movement on the edge of the canal. Zuko is standing on the side of the water, stretching out his arm in an attempt to save the Fire Nation admiral.</p>
<p>“Don’t. You. Dare.” Sokka’s voice is hard. Both cold as ice and raging like a wildfire as he addresses the prince. Zuko flinches back as the words reach him, Zhao getting dragged into the depth as soon as he does, the glow disappearing together with the man.</p>
<p>“Whatever the spirit is planning, he deserves it.” The water tribe boy tells Zuko.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to make his way up to the oasis again when his legs give out under him, falling to his knees as the flames surrounding his body disappear.</p>
<p>HIs body feels incredibly cold as he drops onto the ground, taking in deep breath in an attempt to feed his inner flame.</p>
<p>He feels hand land on his shoulder, stopping him from tumbling into the canal beside him. It is warm to the touch, filling his body with heat as he loses consciousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was really split about Yue, but this felt like it needed to be done. I’m sorry. At first I even planned to let her survive.<br/>And yeah, I know I took the whole ‘Flames representing a firebender’s emotions' thing really far, but it fit so well and I can just say it is that strong because of the spirit influence.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Avatar State</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>he trio leaves the north pole behind, but the events follow them in their minds. At least they should have some peace and calm at that earth kingdom fortress, right?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sokka wakes up he is plagued by a splitting headache. He lets out a groan as he tries to move his aching limbs, but stops as the pain shoots through his body.</p>
<p>“Sokka!” Comes a relieved cry from beside him. He opens his eyes to see his sister hover over him, her hands covered in glowing water.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad you are okay! Do you know how worried I was?” She tells him as she bends the water back into a bowl.</p>
<p>“What happened?” He asks, trying to sit up again. Katara stops him, setting her hand on his shoulder, making him lie down again.</p>
<p>“You lost control of your inner fire again. But it was different this time. Iroh said you exhausted all your energy in your anger, almost making your inner flame collapse. And the lack of sun definitely didn't help.”</p>
<p>“Iroh said that?” He asks. The old man’s advice always turned out true till now, so Sokka trusts his judgement for now, even if he still isn't exactly sure what to think of the retired admiral, especially with the newest events.</p>
<p>‘Yue…’ The memories from before his collapse flow back into his head. A stabbing pain shoots through his heart as the princess’ face flashes before his eyes.</p>
<p>He feels his inner flame flare up in anger again, but it is too weak to break out. ‘Control yourself. Don't make Katara worry even more.’</p>
<p>For a moment he sits in silence, calming the small flame in his body.</p>
<p>“What happened to Aang? Is he okay?” the teen asks.</p>
<p>Katara turns to the bed beside him, the sleeping airbender lying beside Sokka. </p>
<p>“After the moon was restored, the ocean spirits retreated from his body. He was really tired after that, slept for the whole day to recover from the exhaustion. But that isn't the problem.” She tells the firebender.</p>
<p>“He has problems sleeping, always slipping into nightmares. After the spirit merged with him, he lost control of his actions, and he ain't taking that well.”</p>
<p>Sokka gives the sleeping boy a concerned look, just in time to the boy flinch in his sleep. But what can he do? He doesn't exactly have much experience with the whole avatar business.</p>
<p>“Anyway, before Iroh disappeared he told me to take you into warmer areas so you can recover. I don't know if we can trust the guy, but at least with the spirit it looked like he genuinely wanted to help. The boat is already prepared, so we should go on our way as soon as you can move.” She tells him, picking up a sphere of water again as she resumes healing his body.</p>
<p>The firebender tries to move his limbs again, pleasantly surprised to feel the pain has already lessened. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It ends up taking about two more hours for the teen to be able to finally stand up. ‘This is as bad as the worst polar night. I have to get somewhere warmer before it gets worse. At least Katara’s healing helps quite a bit.’</p>
<p>The siblings don't even need to wake Aang, the boy suddenly jumping up from his sleep with a shout. Katara gives the boy a sad and sympathetic look as she walks over to him, talking about what happened and everything else that comes to her mind in an attempt to distract the boy from his nightmares.</p>
<p>They step onto the boat without much of a goodbye, the sailors and master Pakku being the only ones to see them off, leading them out of the northern waters to help them with navigation while giving Appa less work with flying.</p>
<p>It doesn't take that long till the trio splits from the others as they make their way to the southern water tribe, finally giving them support like they should have long ago. But late is better than never, Sokka thinks.</p>
<p>With Aang’s help Sokka climbs into Appa’s saddle, immediately collapsing as soon as he reaches his goal, covering himself with all the warming materials he can find. Katara gives him a laugh but he can see the sadness hidden behind it.</p>
<p>“Katara, I want you to have this.” Pakku tells his sister as she is about to mount the bison, holding out a small vial, attached to a necklace. “This is water from the spirit oasis. It holds special healing abilities. Use it wisely.”</p>
<p> “And for you Aang,” he says, turning to the airbender, “I have these scrolls. They will help you with mastering waterbending. But never forget, they are no substitute for a real master.” He tells the boy, sending a small smile to Katara.</p>
<p>“And you Sokka, get well soon.” He simply says, no gift accompanying the words. He understands why, he wasn't Pakku’s student after all, but it still feels bad.</p>
<p>Aang jumps back onto Appa’s head and the bison rises into the air, and to hopefully warmer areas soon.</p>
<p>Only as Sokka slowly falls asleep, covered in multiple blankets, he asks himself what happened to Zuko.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It takes four days till they reach the earth kingdom outpost they made their course to. The leader of that base, general Fung, has held a bit of contact with the northern watertribe, promising them an escort to the city of Omashu.</p>
<p>Luckily that gave Sokka enough time to recover a bit and adapt to the rapidly changing climate. But just like Iroh predicted the while back, the changing temperature takes less of a toll on the young firebender’s body.</p>
<p>His limbs still ache under the leftover pain, but he manages. Right now his main point of worry is focused on Aang.</p>
<p>The airbender still has problems sleeping, and Sokka doesn't know how to help. Right around now he too would like to know how to avoid nightmares. He doesn't think he will ever get the feeling of Yue disappearing in his arms out of his head.</p>
<p>At least their current  location seems to be safe. The earth kingdom fortress is surrounded by tall, sturdy looking walls, its sun-yellow roof being easily spotted by the trio as they near it.</p>
<p>They are welcomed by the general as soon as they land on the main building's roof, the man giving them a kind smile. </p>
<p>“Welcome, avatar Aang! I am general Fung.” The man introduces himself, bowing his head, the soldiers behind him following his example.</p>
<p>“I welcome you great heroes who managed to defend the northern watertribe from the army of the Fire Nation!” He announces, accompanied by fireworks being released from the central plaza.</p>
<p>“Not bad. Not bad at all.” Sokka finds himself saying, even if all the attention feels really pressuring to him. It’s not like he deserves it anyway. But well, maybe at long last thing will actually work out well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things didn't work out well. Sokka technically understands where the general’s demands for Aang to use the avatar state come from, but some of the methods he tries to use to release it seem … questionable at best.</p>
<p>For once Sokka kind of agrees with his sister. It just feels dangerous to just throw around so much power. They don't even know how the avatar state properly works!</p>
<p>But Aang has made his decision after listening to Fung’s words,  Sokka will respect that, or at least try to. If things go too far he will put an end to this, even if they have to burst out of this fortress. And the teen knows Katara would too.</p>
<p>The firebender lies awake as he watches Aang turn in unrestful sleep. The stress is really taking a toll on the kid, even if the airbender is good at not showing it.</p>
<p>Suddenly he hears the boy’s breath quicken, quickly sitting up as a small shout escapes him. The watertribe boy acts as if asleep, he really shouldn't watch his traveling companion like this.</p>
<p>“Sokka? Are you awake?” The boy asks, his voice weak and tired. The firebender sits up and turns to the boy, doing his best to do a tired impression.</p>
<p>“I don’t think we should be trying to bring on the avatar state.” The boy admits, sounding unsure with himself.</p>
<p>“Okay. We will tell this to the general tomorrow.” Sokka simply answers, hoping for these words for a while.</p>
<p>“Do you think he will just accept that?” The kid asks, is voice wavering.</p>
<p>“Well, what is he going to do? He can't really force you to, that would just be idiotic. You are the avatar. Now try to get some sleep. You need it. Everything will be fine trust me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Everything was definitely not fine. Again. Why by the spirit world decide to throw his fucking table at the boy who will be their ace in the war?! Not someone with a healthy mind anyway.</p>
<p>And the general looked so kind at first. … Well now that Sokka thinks back to it, the signs definitely were there, but who would expect such an unstable person to be so far up in the army? Admiral Zhao should have been the exception!</p>
<p>But now they have the problem, The two men attempting to hold Sokka down seem about as happy with the situation as him, and they barely resist when he slips out of their grip.</p>
<p>He runs down the stairs, keeping his eyes fixed at the main plaza Aang is fighting at.</p>
<p>At the general's orders the soldiers attack the airbender from all sides, but even from here Sokka can see that they are holding back, the boulders far slower than they could be. But it still is far too dangerous.</p>
<p>‘Poor guys. I guess I’m lucky to never have had such a superior. This is as bad as with Hahn! … What even happened to that guy?!’</p>
<p>He reaches the battlefield just in time to see Aang narrowly dodged another attack, his sister coming down from the other stair.</p>
<p>“What is going on?!” She shouts to him, the confusion and panic written in her face.</p>
<p>“The admiral has gone crazy! He is trying to force Aang into the avatar state!” He tells the waterbender as he runs to join his companion in the battle. </p>
<p>He throws his boomerang at one of the distracted soldiers, knocking him out with one hit. ‘Better not use fire. The whole situation is dangerous enough for everyone already, and I can't burn anyone who is technically on our side.’</p>
<p>Beside him Katara knocks out the soldier riding an ostrich horse as the man begins to chase Aang, letting Sokka mount the animal, trying to create a path for the airbender to escape.</p>
<p>But his movement is blocked by the soldiers immediately, their earth discs closing in from all sides, throwing him off his ostrich horse after only knocking out two of the men with his boomerang.</p>
<p>‘Oh I wish I could just use my firebending without worry like Katara’s waterbending.’ He thinks, jumping up from the ground to avoid another attack. </p>
<p>Suddenly the general’s voice cuts through the chaotic sounds of the battle, drawing everyone's attention as the man addresses Aang. “Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't.” </p>
<p>Katara tries to retreat from the central plaza, but is blocked off by the soldiers. She releases her water whip, trying to hit the general, but the earthbender throws up a wall of sand, turning the water to mud and letting her control slip.</p>
<p>He stomps onto the ground, sinking Katara’s feet into the stone floor. She tries to free herself, but the struggle seems pointless against the solid rock.</p>
<p>“Don't hurt her!” Aang shouts, throwing another blast of wind at the man, only for it to be blocked by a wall of stone.</p>
<p>“I will release her as soon as you enter the avatar state!” the man demands.</p>
<p>“But I don't know how!” He answers, the desperation clear in his words. But the earthbender isn't convinced.</p>
<p>“Then apparently I have to do this!” he calls out, Katara getting dragged under the earth completely.</p>
<p>Sokka feels the fire build up inside his body as he sprints to the place Katara was buried, preparing a blast to rip open the earth, when he is thrown aside by a stormwind.</p>
<p>He crashes into the ground, only barely managing to dampen his fall, the pain shooting through his boy. When he lifts his eyes he sees Aang levitate beside him, his tattoos glowing as he goes into the avatar state.</p>
<p>Sokka only barely notices the admiral release his sister out of the ground, his eyes still focused on the boy in front of him.</p>
<p>Like last time, the energy flows out of the avatar and waves, almost freezing Sokka in his tracks as the winds start to get stronger, pushing him away.</p>
<p>The airbender seems to have lost control of himself, unable to notice the safety of Katara. Not that Sokka can really judge him for it. He has problems controlling his firebending alone.</p>
<p>“Aang! Snap out of it! Katara is safe!” He shouts to the boy, even if his heart too is still storming from the current events. </p>
<p>Aang releases another devastating blast of air, sending the admiral flying into the wall as he rises into the sky, a vortex of wind and sand protecting his body.</p>
<p>Then, creating a destructive shockwave, he crashes back down to the ground, the earth and wind creating a merciless wave, blowing away both people and buildings alike.</p>
<p>Sokka gets thrown into the air as the attack hits him, painfully colliding with the hard ground. Immediately his eyes snap down to Aang, the boy being unsettlingly motionless till suddenly the light disappears from his eyes and tattoos, falling to his knees.</p>
<p>Katara runs to the boy without hesitation while her brother still has trouble getting onto his feet. She takes Aang into a tight hug, the actions visibly calming the boy down.</p>
<p>But Sokka can already see that the moment won't last, the general shamelessly approaching the two, a smile on his face as if he thinks this was actually the right idea.</p>
<p>But if the firebender has anything to add to this situation, he will at least give his two companions a bit of quiet.</p>
<p>“...That was almost perfect! Now we just have to find out how to control you like than! I guess we will figure that out on the way-” And Sokka knocks the man out with a heavy bash on his skull. Maybe a bit less hard would have done the trick too, but the earthbender deserved it.</p>
<p>“Any complaints?” He asks into the rows of onlooking soldiers, the men immediately shaking their heads.</p>
<p>One of them awkwardly approaches the kids. “Do you still want an escort to Omashu?” but he looks like he already expects the answer.</p>
<p>“I think we are all set.” Katara tells them, turning to Aang and giving him a small smile.</p>
<p>They leave almost immediately after that, only taking their stuff and receiving some more food and money from the soldiers. </p>
<p>Sokka just wishes it could have been that easy the whole time. Well at least they should be safe in Omashu.</p>
<p>(He will later regret never stopping himself from setting these flags.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not much different from canon. Hope you like it anyway!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Cave of Two Lovers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>One their way to Omashu the gaang meets a group of nomads, telling them about a secret passage through the mountain, letting them avoid the Fire Nation army. But at what cost?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>First off all, if it wasn't obvious enough, Sokka wants to clarify how much he hates these nomads. </p>
<p>And that isn't only because of their general disposition to, well, everything, but they also lead the gaang into these incredibly creepy cave systems.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a defeated sigh as he takes another look at the map he is trying to draw, stuffing it into his pocket. “It's no use. I know what I’m about to say should not make any sense, but I think the tunnels are changing as we walk through them.”</p>
<p>“Maybe your ability to read a map just isn't as good as you think.” Katara tells him with a scoff.</p>
<p>“Well, I would hope so too, but by now I am sure of it. Something in this cave is trying to stop us from leaving. Aang? Do you feel any spirit related stuff?”</p>
<p>But the airbender just shakes his head, nervously looking around the walls as he tries to calm Appa, both him and the bison not seeming comfortable as soon as the sky was replaced with a rocky ceiling.</p>
<p>‘And I didn't feel any spirit stuff either. And trapping the avatar doesn't exactly seem in character with the spirits.’ He lets out a sigh. “If you just would be able to use earthbending already.”</p>
<p>He absentmindedly hears one of the nomads say something, but by now has mostly tuned them out. It's not like anything useful has left their mouths yet. ‘We should have just taken the long way around. At least then we wouldn't have been stuck here.’</p>
<p>But his thoughts are interrupted as a tremor goes through the cave, luckily stopping quickly. ‘A cave in is the last thing we need now.’</p>
<p>“Everyone. Be quiet.” Katara suddenly tells them, and Sokka quickly realizes why. From the dark tunnels in the depth of the mountain halls a terrifying wail, bouncing off the walls, contorting it even more.</p>
<p>‘But that doesn't sound like a spirit. That is .. better?’</p>
<p>And the source of the sound quickly reveals itself, a giant wolf bat flying out of the dark, trying to swipe its claws at Sokka. Even so the firebender reacts fast, throwing up a wall of flames to protect himself.</p>
<p>But the animal is soon followed by the rest of its swarm, following after the first.</p>
<p>The nomads are helpful as always, running around with panicked shouts. But the chaos also seems to irritate Appa, the bison losing it completely as Chong drops his torch near him.</p>
<p>Appa jumps up and crashes into the wall, rocks falling from the ceiling as a huge boulder breaks loose.</p>
<p>“Get away!” Sokka shouts, shooting flames from his hands to propel himself away from the cave in, barely avoiding getting crushed.</p>
<p>‘Oh, I am so happy my flames are properly working around here.’ He thinks as he stands up. But his relief is short lives as he spots the completely blocked path in front of him.</p>
<p>“Aang! Katar! Are you alright?!” He shouts, trying to find his friends, his pulse racing.</p>
<p>But he doesn't get an answer, the solid rock blocking out every sound.</p>
<p>‘No. they have to be okay. If there is one thing Aang can do it is dodge. I have seen the boy fight. And he would never let anything hurt Katara.’ He tells himself.</p>
<p>His eyes sway up the pile of rocks. ‘I would like to try and blow this out of the way with my flames, but it already looks unstable enough as it is. Touching it could end catastrophic.’</p>
<p>“Looks like we are separated. But don't worry. At least you still have us.” Chong tells him from the side.</p>
<p>That causes Sokka to think about just risking to try and dig through the mountains of rocks. The ceiling collapsing over his head really sounds like the better alternative.</p>
<p>But no. He will get out of this cave on his own, no matter what tries to hold all of them in here. ‘Could there really be a curse? No. Curses without spirit stuff just sounds dump, but what could it be?’ he thinks to himself, picking up Momo who is also on this side of the cave in as he starts walking through the tunnels again.</p>
<p>“Sou you are a firebender?” One of the nomads asks, giving him a surprised look, Sokka only now realizing that he firebend as the wolf bats attacked.</p>
<p>“No, I’m a waterbender that can make water orange and glow.” He tells them Sarcastically.</p>
<p>“Wow. Cool.” The man actually says, believing the words. Sokka just lets him, slapping his hand on his forehead.</p>
<p>He turns to Momo on his shoulder, giving the animal a scratch behind his ear. “So how does it feel to be the second smartest thing in this group?” He asks the animal, receiving a confused sound in response.</p>
<p>‘I will get insane with these guys.’ Sokka tells himself, igniting a flame in his hands to lighten up the cave, continuing to walk into the dark corridors.</p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka looks at his attempt at a map for the last time as he crumples it up and stuffs it into his pocket. Not like it has any use here anyway. Why did he even try again? Oh yeah. Because he literally has no other idea what to do next.</p>
<p>“Your plan has led us to another dead end.” Moku says, actually having the audacity to complain after doing nothing himself.</p>
<p>“At least I am thinking of ideas and trying to get us out of here.” Sokka replies with an annoyed voice.</p>
<p>“Wait a minute. We are thinking of ideas?” Chong asks the boy. “Cause I’ve had one for, like, an hour now.”</p>
<p>“Yes! We are all thinking of ideas!” He shouts, his inner flame flaring. ‘Control yourself. No use getting angry right now. You need all the concentration you can get. The cave is just getting to you a bit.’</p>
<p>Sokka turns back to the nomad. “So would you mind telling us of your idea?” He asks the man, even if he doesn't expect much.</p>
<p>“Well, listen to this. If love is the key out of here, then all we need to do is play a love song!”</p>
<p>Sokka’s hand collides with his forehead again. ‘What did I even expect?’ “Chong, you have been singing about the Two Lovers the whole time already. And evidently, it didn't exactly get us out of here.”</p>
<p>He turns away from the dead end, walking down the tunnels again, the singing of the nomads following right behind him, when he suddenly hears a wail behind him.</p>
<p>‘Oh no. Not these things again.’ He thinks as he hears the steps of the wolf bats getting closer.</p>
<p>He calls up a  ball of flame in his hand, throwing it into the dark tunnel, revealing the horde of wild animals, far bigger than the last time.</p>
<p>‘Shit. They don't look like they will just run away like last time. I have got rid of them somehow.’ He thinks as the creatures fly into the air.</p>
<p>‘These things orient themselves mostly by sound, right? I hope the walls can hold this…’ he hopes, letting his flames gather into his hands. He hasn't had a chance to try this since the first time he experimented around with this, but it doesn't look like he has another chance.</p>
<p>He calls up the memories from what now feels like ages ago, shortly before he fought a volcano, letting all the energy of the flames flow into his palm.</p>
<p>“Cover your ears!” Sokka shouts to the nomads as the flame in his hands feels like it is about to burst, releasing to the ground in front of the wild horde.</p>
<p>He throws up his hands to his ears, just in time to protect them from the loud burst as the flames collide with the ground.</p>
<p>Despite his efforts his ears still ring when he takes his hands away, but his attack has done its work.</p>
<p>In front of him lies the swarm of sound sensitive animals, picking themselves off the ground as they run away, the loud explosion throwing them into fear.</p>
<p>“Thank the spirits that worked.” He tells himself, letting out a relieved breath as he inspects the still stable looking walls and ceiling.</p>
<p>But his happiness is short lived when the ground under his feet begins to shake. </p>
<p>‘Shit! Is it collapsing anyway? But it all looks so stable!” He looks around the dark tunnel, all the rock still seemingly undamaged. ‘But then why-’</p>
<p>He doesn't get to finish his thoughts as suddenly a giant mole breaks through the wall right in front of him, the firebender falling to the ground in shock.</p>
<p>He doesn't get any time to recover as behind the group another one breaks through the wall behind them, cutting off their escape, giving out a deep growl.</p>
<p>But that is not the only thing. The animal in front of him doesn't only look intimidating, it also feels the part. Energy flows out of it like it usually does from a string bender, rooting the boy in place.</p>
<p>But he isn't the only one looking surprised, the giant moles getting closer to him without showing another hostile action and sniffing him.</p>
<p>Sokka slowly raises his hand to the animals heads, careful to avoid its sensitive looking nose and setting his palm down on its surprisingly soft fur.</p>
<p>And in that moment he thinks he knows what Bumi and Jeong Jeong meant when they said you can just feel it when another person is a bender, even if he would have never expected to notice it first with an animal.</p>
<p>“You are the ones who kept changing the tunnels, aren't you?” he asks the animal, continuing to gently pet it as he stands up. Suddenly he hears an instrument's sound come from below him.</p>
<p>He looks down to see his hand on Chong’s guitar, accidentally having set his hands on it with his eyes locked on the mole in front of him.</p>
<p>The animal in front of home lets out a playful huff of air, gently pushing Sokka to the instrument.</p>
<p>“You want me to play?” He asks, picking up the instrument, experimentally plucking one of the strings, receiving a happy sounding huff from the mole in front of him.</p>
<p>“Chong, I have something to do for you.” He says as he continues, or at least tries to, play the instrument. </p>
<p>Without much of a wait the nomad takes back his instrument, beginning to play for the animals. </p>
<p>‘Who would have thought that they would actually turn out to be useful.’ Sokka thinks to himself, as the animals suddenly lower themselves to the ground. One of them moves its tail, gesturing to its back.</p>
<p>“You want us to hop on?” Sokka asks, slowly approaching,fully climbing on its back when he doesn't notice any protest.</p>
<p>As soon as all members of their group are in place, the animals run off to the same direction, the walls of solid stone splitting open in front of them to make them a path.</p>
<p>“Woohoo!” Sokka cries out happily, patting the mole, the animal breaking through a wall to reveal the light of the sun. “You two are amazing!” He tells it, receiving a happy sound in return.</p>
<p>He looks forward to see Aang and Katara right in front of them, Appa lying a little bit further ahead.</p>
<p>“Hey. How is i t going?” He asks casually as he slides down the mole, giving it another pat as it turns around, walking into the cave again. “Thanks for our help!” He calls after them before they close the stone walls, leaving as if they have never been there.</p>
<p>“Sokka! You're okay!” Katara says, catching her brother into a hug.</p>
<p>“Guys! How did you guys get out?” He asks.</p>
<p>“Just like the legend said. You let love lead the way.” Aang tells him with a cheeky smile, and Sokka is suddenly very sure he doesn't really want to know what happened there.</p>
<p>“Really? We let huge earthbending moles lead our way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Right after that they and the nomads split off, Sokka telling his friends about the moles.</p>
<p>“Are you really sure they could earthbend? Maybe they just dug through the earth.” Katara says sceptically.</p>
<p>“Is it that abnormal? I mean you see Appa fly every day.” He tells her, receiving a shrug in return. “Well, we can just ask the people of Omashu about it, they should know about … that ...best.”</p>
<p>The words die in his mouth as he spots the city in the afar, thick pillars of smoke rising from the mountain, the Fire Nation flags visibly even from this distance.</p>
<p>‘Why can't things never be easy for us?’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A shorter one, but not that much actually happens from Sokka’s point of view if you exclude the stuff that is exactly the same. I like the idea of Sokka kinda experimenting around with his bending. I just seem really in character for him.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Return to Omashu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang finally returns to Omashu, but with the Fire Nation already there, the plan shifts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The smoke of the Fire Nation machinery sends a chill down Sokka's throat. </p>
<p>He always thought that he liked the complex machinery and delicate construction, despite it being used by the enemy, but now it just seems … wrong.</p>
<p>“I knew that the war had spread far, but Omashu always seemed so … untouchable.” Aang says, his voice weak.</p>
<p>“Until now it was.” Sokka tells the boy, setting his hand on the younger’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom fortress left.”</p>
<p>“I am sorry Aang, but we have to go. It's too dangerous around here.” Katara tells the boy.</p>
<p>“No. I’m going in to find Bumi. We can't leave him there.” Aang tells the siblings with a determined voice.</p>
<p>“Wait, Aang!” Sokka tries. They can't just go into a Fire Nation fortress. “We don't even know if Bumi is still … around.” he tries to say it kindly.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but I can't just leave my friend here like that.” The avatar says, turning to the others, with unshakable determination in his eyes.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a sigh. “You are really not letting us talk you out of this. You are aware of the risks and the fact that we don't even know if Bumi is captured?”</p>
<p>Aang nods, his eyes returning to the city.</p>
<p>“Okay. This one last time, but you know we can't just keep going around taking risks like that. One day it … won't work out.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Sokka. And I will. But this time it's just…” He drifts off, the firebender giving him an understanding nod. He knows the airbender doesn't want to lose the last people he knew from 100 years ago.</p>
<p>Luckily for them Aang seems to know a secret entrance to the city.</p>
<p>They fly down with Appa’s help, deep into the cliffs that seperate Omashu from the surrounding mountains.</p>
<p>“Why didn't we use this the last time he went here?” the watertribe boy asks as Aang breaks open the entrance to the secret passageway, answering Sokka’s question.</p>
<p>“We are going through the sewers?!” the teen shouts, holding his nose as he steps back from the grime flowing out of the pipe.</p>
<p>“Yep!” Aang confirms with far too much enthusiasm, jumping in, Katara following right after.</p>
<p>“This isn't how I wanted this day to go.” Sokka complains, mostly to himself, but follows nonetheless.</p>
<p>He quickly finds out why his two companions were far less bothered by this whole situation than him, each of them using their bending to avoid even touching a bit of the disgusting fluids currently splashing into the teen’s face.</p>
<p>He attempts to use his bending to throw up a small wall of flames, but it goes as well as expected, only evaporating a small part of the liquids while boiling the rest, making the stench spread even faster.</p>
<p>So he just presses through it, the sewage waters, which he definitely doesn't want to know the composition of, splashing into his face and seeping into his clothing.</p>
<p>He is definitely going to have nightmares about this.</p>
<p>He is pretty much blinded by the time he crawls out of the sewer hole, not even noticing as his sister bends out water from a nearby pot to clean him of all the nauseating substances.</p>
<p>He picks himself up from the wall the fountain as thrown him into. </p>
<p>But something isn't right. He shifts his eyes down to the suspicious sting on his cheeks. </p>
<p>“Aaaa! Get it off! Get it off!!!” He shouts, trying to get these sewer squids off himself, but his struggling only hurting himself. “They won't let go!”</p>
<p>Aang the traditor just laughs at his suffering, putting a hand on his mouth to silence him. ”Stop overreacting, or they're gonna find us. It's just a purple pentapus.” He says as he gently scratches the animal's head.</p>
<p>To the firebenders surprise that makes the small creature release its arms willingly, only leaving behind a small red swellings where its suction cups were.</p>
<p>He is rubbing his cheeks when suddenly a voice halls through the darkness.</p>
<p>“Hey! What are you kids doing out here past curfew?” They spot a Fire Nation guard walking down the dark street with two other soldiers by his side.</p>
<p>Sokka doesn't spot any other soldiers, but this doesn't seem like a situation where they have to risk fighting and being found out already before they collected enough information.</p>
<p>Luckily his companions seem to have the same opinion.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Katara tells the men with a small bow. “We were just on our way home. If you would please excuse us?” She asks in a polite voice as the three turn around.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Suddenly comes the voice of the guard, making the ground freeze in their step.</p>
<p>‘Did they find us out already? This time Aang even had a disguise!’ He is about to light a flame in his hand, preparing to battle, when the man continues.</p>
<p>“What’s the matter with him?” Asks the guard with a confused voice, gesturing at Sokka.</p>
<p>‘What's wrong? What does he mean?’ he muses, but Katara is fast to find out the words' meaning.</p>
<p>“He has pentapox, Sir.” His sister says as she gestures to the small red swellings on the teen’s face.</p>
<p>The guard approaches Sokka, seemingly trying to get a better look at his face, not looking convinced.</p>
<p>And while Sokka isn't that proud of his acting skills over all, he has been ill so many times when he was still on the south pole he knows how being sick worky like none other.</p>
<p>He lets out a painful sounding groan from the deepest part of his throat, swaying as he scratches the red swelling, slowly stumbling towards the Fire Nation men.</p>
<p>“It's highly contagious!” Katara tells the man who is now wearing a fearful face. “And deadly!”</p>
<p>“I think I have heard of this pentapox!” One of the other soldiers says. “Didn’t your cousin Chang die off it? Get him to the doctor fast before it spreads!” He says as he takes a step back, making a run for it as Sokka lets out a painful sounding cough in their direction.</p>
<p>When they are out of range he stands up with a broad smile on his face. He didn't have that much fun in ages!</p>
<p>“Good performance Sokka!” Aang says, raising one of the small sewer octopi to his face as he gives it a playful scratch. “And of course to you too, my little friend.” He finishes, carefully setting the animal back down into the sewers again before closing the manhole cover.</p>
<p>The team now makes their way up the silent streets of the city, careful not to be seen again.</p>
<p>While they have no idea where Bumi could be, it would be illogical to imprison the man in the outer parts, where it would be easier for attackers to free him.</p>
<p>Their aimless wandering soon brings them to some kind of construction site, covering the beautiful stone structure with metal, maybe in an attempt to weaken the resident earthbenders.</p>
<p>“Let's find Bumi and get out of here.” Katara says after a really close call with a guard, getting more nervous as the sunrise gets closer, casting away their cover of darkness.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his eyes travel over the area. “They will imprison him somewhere he can't bend, so somewhere covered with metal or suspended in the air. Probably even both. I don't think they are willing to take any risks with him, and if they are, they are dumber than expected.”</p>
<p>The other two seem to agree with his theory, continuing to sneak up to the more metal covered areas of the city, which happens to also be better guarded, so Sokka thinks they are on the right track.</p>
<p>They are just reaching some of the higher areas when they spot a bigger group of people approaching. </p>
<p>Multiple guards are positioned around what looks to be a family of Fire Nation nobles, if their expensive clothing is anything to go by. Even if the teenage girl accompanying them looks a bit out of place.</p>
<p>‘Her clothing doesn't exactly fit with any of the groups. Maybe she is a special guard? You can never know with the Fire Nation, and with benders talent is something that is independent from age.’</p>
<p>Suddenly a ruble is going through the ground, a couple of rocks rolling down the metal slope, too well times to be an accident.</p>
<p>But Aang doesn't seem to be in line with whoever is trying to take out the Fire Nation executives in one hit, shattering the boulders with a direct hit of wind. The boy is far too much of a pacifist.</p>
<p>Sadly for them that catches the Fire Nation's attention.</p>
<p>“The resistance!” The woman shouts, pointing at their position. </p>
<p>The gloomy looking girl reacts immediately, he lax looking posture turning focused as she throws a wave of projectiles at Aang, the boy barely dodging as they pierce into the walls.</p>
<p>With their position found it would be far too risky to infiltrate the deeper parts of Omashu now, so the group turns to run for now.</p>
<p>Katara bends the liquid out of her waterskin, whipping the soldiers following them down to a lower platform, but by that time the gloomy girl has caught up to them, releasing a volley of throwing knives, Katara only just blocking them with a wall of ice.</p>
<p>The waterbender retrieves the water, giving Sokka an open field as he releases a wave of flames.</p>
<p>He can see the shock in their attackers’ eyes, the girl only just avoiding the firebenders attack.</p>
<p>But she recovers fast, releasing another attack as Aang blocks the path by collapsing the scaffolding beside them. The airbender swings his staff to hit the blade out of the air, causing it to stick into his weapon.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to release another blast, trying to ignite the scaffolding, when suddenly the ground under them collapses, closing up above him before he can even react, depositing the kids in a dark tunnel.</p>
<p>When the firebender raises his eyes he comes face to face with a group of Earth Kingdom citizens, all having a hard expression on their face.</p>
<p>‘Well, it's only fair. Aang kind of sabotaged their assasination.’</p>
<p>But the airbender doesn't seem bothered by the dense atmosphere. “You are the resistance right?” He asks, receiving a nod in response.</p>
<p>The resistance members give each other questioning looks, a serious looking man who Sokka assumes to be the leader stepping forward.</p>
<p>“We will lead you to our base. We can talk there.” He tells them, turning around as he walks through the dark tunnels, the others following after him.</p>
<p>But Aang doesn't seem comfortable with the silence after a while, speeding up his steps to place himself beside the leader.</p>
<p>“So … Is King Bumi with you guys?” He asks innocently, only for the man's face and voice to turn hostile.</p>
<p>“Of course not! The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city, to fight for our lives and our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered.” The man finishes angrily.</p>
<p>Sokka is shocked by the words. ‘Bumi didn't seem like the person who would give up because of fear, and even if he is a bit crazy he probably has a good reason for this. Now we really need to find him even more.’ </p>
<p>He shakes himself out of his thoughts to focus on the resistance leader as the man continues.</p>
<p>“On the day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do, and he just looked me in the eye and said ‘I’m going to do nothing!’” The man tries to imitate Bumi’s voice, badly.</p>
<p>‘Yeah , that man must have really planned something, but what I would really like to know is if we are part of it.’ “Did he say anything else?” Sokka asks, receiving a handshake in response.</p>
<p>“It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom. And freedom is worth dying for.” </p>
<p>And while Sokka agrees with the last part there has to be a better way to get the citizens out of this situation.</p>
<p>Aang seems to have the same oppinion, raising his voice in the way that makes him sound far older than he is.</p>
<p>“There is another way. You could leave Omashu for now, avoiding casualties. Right now you are outnumbered and would be running into a hopeless battle. It would be better to retreat.”</p>
<p>And despite Sokka’s expectations, the men actually agree with Aang, deciding to fight another day.</p>
<p>“But how are we gonna leave?” The leader asks. “There are thousands of citizens that need to escape. How are we gonna get them out?”</p>
<p>But Sokka gets an idea. A brilliant one, he might add. “Well, it looks like you are all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox.” He tells them with a grin, seeing a smile creep on his two companions' faces.</p>
<p>Aang is fast to get some more of those little sewer octopi while the resistance goes around informing the people.</p>
<p>The red swellings left behind by the animals' suction cups look just like a real rash, the citizens spreading them over their entire visible body.</p>
<p>Sokka tries to give them a short lesson in acting, but when he sees an old man stumbles out of the group looking like he is about to die here and now, he is pretty reassured that they will manage.</p>
<p>The teen is about to go to his designated position when he sees Aang still completely free of the fake rash. “What going on Aang, we have to leave!” He calls the avatar, only to receive a handshake from the boy.</p>
<p>“No, I’m not leaving without Bumi.” He says, tightening his rip on his glider.</p>
<p>The firebender lets out a sigh but nods. “In the confusion we are bound to create it would be the most logical time, but we won't be able to get you out like this, so please promise me that you will retreat immediately if it gets too dangerous. You said it yourself, better prepare to fight another day.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Sokka. I will.” The boy says as he runs into the dark alleys, the two siblings returning to the group of Omashu citizens.</p>
<p>It takes a surprisingly short amount of time till everyone is ready, just finishing to hide some essentials under their clothing since going out with a backpack would be kind of suspicious.</p>
<p>They all position themselves relatively close to the city’s exit, waiting till an imitated bird call halls though the silent streets. </p>
<p>‘That's the signal.’ Sokka thinks as he starts to stumble out into the streets, calling upon all possible acting talent that he has, the groans halling from the stone structures.</p>
<p>He will never forget the faces of the shocked Fire Nations soldiers as they fall into a complete panic, scrambling around to sound the alarm, frantically shouting “Plague!” as they run away, trying to cover their mouths.</p>
<p>He only barely manages to stop the laugh that threatens to escape him at the picture of his horrified enemies, masking it with a painful sounding groan.</p>
<p>The alert gets the attention of the other soldiers, but they look as helpless about this as the others, a panic going through their ranks till they finally open the gate, creating distance between themselves and the acting citizens.</p>
<p>But it's not like he can judge the Fire Nation soldiers. The conquering of Omashu has to have been really recent, so the probability of the enemies informing themselves about the local illnesses is extremely low.</p>
<p>‘And no one wants to be infected that looks like this.’ he thinks, looking at a really enthusiastically acting old man beside him.</p>
<p>They hold up their act as they walk over the bridge, creating a good distance between themselfs and the city before stopping with performance to give himself time to rest.</p>
<p>They are out of view of the Fire Nation right now, but Sokka manages to convince a group of earthbenders to create a simple wall around their temporary settlement before they continue tomorrow. Just to be safe.</p>
<p>By the time they settled down the sun had gone down, small campfires being the only source of light in the area, the embers dark enough to not be seen in the city.</p>
<p>The firebender takes up the role of watchman, giving the already tired resistance members a moment to rest, even if his firebending is telling him to sleep too.</p>
<p>But has learned to ignore that, or he would sleep through the entire polar night.</p>
<p>He scans his eyes over the darkness before him, keeping his eyes open for an orange clad figure.</p>
<p>‘I hope you are okay Aang.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for splitting this in two chapters! But it got too long and university is making writing hard.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Return to Omashu Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang heads back to Omashu to exchange the baby for King Bumi. Sokka just hopes that for once things work out well, not that he expects it at this point.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is sitting on the small wall, keeping his eyes open for any potential attackers and -most importantly- Aang.</p>
<p>The firebender starts to get worried when he spots a big white creature approaching from the distance. At first he thinks it's some kind of dangerous, wild animal, but as he spots Aang by its side he remembers it to be Bumi’s pet.</p>
<p>Sokka’s heart falls when he spots the boy’s grim expression, walking up to him to set his hands on the other’s shoulder to comfort him.</p>
<p>“We looked everywhere. But still nothing of Bumi.” the avatar tells them with a tired voice.</p>
<p>Katara takes the boy into a warm hug while Sokka tries his best to comfort Flopsi, the animal visibly missing its owner, letting out sad growls.</p>
<p>The moment is interrupted by the leader of the resistance as he approaches from the side. “We just made a head count. And there is a problem.”</p>
<p>“Oh no. Did we lose someone?” Katara asks with worry in her voice, but surprisingly the man shakes his head.</p>
<p>“No. We have one extra.” he answers, pointing at a baby in expensive looking Fire Nation cloth as it clings to Momo.</p>
<p>The small boy lets out a laugh as he gets dragged around by the animal, unbothered by his missing parents and change of scenery.</p>
<p>They take the child with them as they sit down around the campfire, discussing what to do with him when a messenger hawk lands on the rock beside them.</p>
<p>Aang immediately jumps up and takes the scroll out of its bag.</p>
<p>“It's from the Fire Nation governor. He seems to think we kidnapped his son. So, he wants to make a trade. His son for ... King Bumi!” Aang finishes with shock in his eyes, but a smile promptly settles on his face.</p>
<p>“That's perfect! The two problems are going to solve each other!” He tells the others as he drops down on the ground beside them.</p>
<p>“You know this has a high chance of being a trap, right? Like, a really high chance.” Sokka asks the airbender.</p>
<p>“I don't think so. The governor seems to care for his son, so he won't risk hurting him.” Aang says with confidence, and the water tribe boy decides to just trust the avatar’s instinct and prepare for the worst.</p>
<p>While he muses about possible plans for escape after they went back to Omashu, he suddenly spots the Fire Nation baby crawling to him, looking at the older boy with big eyes.</p>
<p>“What do you want, little one?” He asks the child he still doesn't know the name of, not really expecting an answer.</p>
<p>He gets a garbled mess of sounds in return as the baby crawls into Sokka lap, giving off a happy sound.</p>
<p>“Oh isn't he so cute!” Katara says and she ruffles the child's hair, getting a laugh out of the boy.</p>
<p>The resistance leader doesn't seem to share her happiness though. “He might be cute now, but when he grows up he will join the Fire Nation army and be a killer like the rest of them. You won’t think he is so cute then.”</p>
<p>“Does that look like the face of a killer?” Katara asks the man while squishing the baby’s cheeks, making it let out a happy giggle..</p>
<p>The baby snuggles into Sokka as soon as the waterbender releases him, letting out a satisfied sound.</p>
<p>“He really seems to like you.” Katara tells her brother with a surprised look. “To bad he has so bad taste.” She tells him jokingly, but he can see that she really wants to cuddle with the small boy more.</p>
<p>They grew up constantly surrounded by children, and by now the siblings are really starting to miss it.</p>
<p>Sokka moves a bit closer to his sister, the Fire Nation child still placed securely into his lap, giving the waterbender open access to the child.</p>
<p>Katara gives him a smile at the gesture, gently stroking her hand through the child's hair. “But he really seems oddly attached.”</p>
<p>To tell the truth it surprises Sokka too. Not that he is going to complain. But it is definitely enough to get his mind racing. “Maybe it is because of body temperature? I can't imagine him liking it to be moved from the warm Fire Nation to the mountainous area of the Earth Kingdom.”</p>
<p>Katara seems to understand the meaning behind it. She knows how her brother would like to avoid telling strangers about his bending.</p>
<p>Especially if they have a disposition to it like the resistance leader.</p>
<p>When he looks down at the boy he is greeted by a content sleeping face smudged against his chest, the child letting out calm breaths. </p>
<p>“We should sleep too.” He tells his companions. “Tomorrow we will need all the energy we can get.” He says as he grabs one of his more cozy blankets, laying down on the warm earth near the fire as he covers the baby and himself, quickly drifting off into a deep slumber.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day they stand up as soon as the sun is rising, wanting to finish this whole exchange as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Sokka takes the still sleeping child and fastens him to his body with a scarf, making sure he is secure if danger arises like the firebender expects it to. They are walking right into an enemy fortress after all.</p>
<p>He lets his eyes drift to the former Omshu citizens as they pack their little belongings, beginning to make their way south.</p>
<p>‘At least we will be enough of a distraction so they can get away easily.’ he thinks to himself as he climbs onto Appa’s back.</p>
<p>Sokka feels weird as they just fly into the city without any cover, landing on the designated meeting point, up close to the peak of the city.</p>
<p>The other party hasn't arrived yet so the firebender uses that moment to fasten the scarf holding the baby to his body. </p>
<p>The small boy seems to be as nervous as every other in the group, picking up on the tense atmosphere, his little hands tightly gripping into Sokka’s clothing, looking up at the older boy with big, scared eyes.</p>
<p>“Don't worry. You will be back with your mom soon.” He tells the younger, gently patting the others head. </p>
<p>Looking down at him like this makes him miss the small children back at home. He really regrets never having the time to give them a proper goodbye when he and Katara had to follow after the captured Aang.</p>
<p>‘I hope they are doing okay. Pakku and the other people from the northern water tribe should have gotten here by now, right?’</p>
<p>He is dragged out of his worry when he sees some figures approach from the distance.</p>
<p>He recognizes the gloomy girl from before, but the other two are new. Though the serious looking one in armor somehow looks really familiar for some reason. He just can put his finger on why.</p>
<p>“Be on guard.” Sokka whispers to the others. “It's suspicious to not send the governor himself for these kinds of exchanges.” </p>
<p>The others seem to have the same opinion, giving him a small nod that should not be visible from the distance.</p>
<p>The rattling of chains catches the teen’s attention, lifting his eyes up to one of the construction cranes high above their heads.</p>
<p>He can hear King Bumi's distinctive laugh before he can even see the man. He is trapped in a horribly tight looking metal boy, only leaving his face free.</p>
<p>And while Sokka understands why the enemy did this -it pretty much being the only good solution to safely capture a strong earthbender like him- it still sends a shiver down the watertribe boy’s spine.</p>
<p>“Hi everybody!” the king shouts unbothered, slightly calming Sokka’s worry, and he can see the same happening with Aang.</p>
<p>The earthbender is lowered to the wooden structure behind the enemies, the gloomy looking one starting to talk. “You brought my brother?” She asks, her face and voice not giving away any emotions.</p>
<p>“He’s here.” Aang answers, Sokka turning to make the boy’s face more visible as the child is playfully grabbing around Sokka's face. “We are ready to trade.”</p>
<p>But then suddenly Sokka’s hope of this working out well is immediately crushed when the scary looking one raises her voice, an even more menacing expression appearing on her face.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind, Mai?” She asks the gloomy one.</p>
<p>“Of course not Princess Azula.” The other answers.</p>
<p>‘Prinzess?! So that means she is related to Zuko? Well, they kind of look alike. But Zuko looks far less evil than her. And what is the Fire Nation princess doing here? This can't be good...’</p>
<p>But she raises her voice, dragging Soka out of his thoughts. “We are trading a two year old for a king - a powerful earthbender at that. It just doesn't feel like a fair trade, does it?” She says in a calm and maybe even kind voice, but it sends a shiver down Sokka’s back.</p>
<p>‘She is dangerous. We have to get out of here!’ He thinks desperately hoping one of the princess’ companions will say something, but the previously smiling girl on the left just guiltily looks to the side, while the gloomy one looks calculative. </p>
<p>‘They probably have to listen to her orders anyway. Shit.’ He slightly turns his head to Aang, trying to get the boy’s attention.</p>
<p>“We have to get out of here. This is going-” He whispers to the boy, but is interrupted by Mai.</p>
<p>“The deal is off.” She says, King Bumi getting lifted into the air again.</p>
<p>“Bumi!” Aang shouts as begins to run to the man, but the princess tries to block him off with a blast of blue (blue!) fire. Thankfully the airbender is fast enough, jumping up high over the attack and to the scaffolding.</p>
<p>With amazement Sokka looks, and feels, how the blazing hot flame disappears. He didn't even know firebenders could create such hot fires and still control it!</p>
<p>But he doesn't have much time to be amazed as he spots Aang losing his headband, revealing the arrow underneath.</p>
<p>He instantly sees the recognition flash in Azula’s eyes, a grin spreading over her face as she runs into the construction site as the airbender continues to fly upwards to Bumi.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to follow after them when he hears fast steps approach him.</p>
<p>“We gotta get the baby out of here!” Katara shouts, Sokka already blowing the bison whistle in an attempt to call Appa.</p>
<p>“We have to buy time till Appa is here.” He tells her as the siblings back off to the edge of the structure, trying to get distance between them and the enemies.</p>
<p>But suddenly, from the edge of his eyes, he sees something move at his feet. He tries to jump up, but he feels something impact with his foot, causing him to lose balance.</p>
<p>Sokka falls forwards, but twists his body in an attempt to shield the child that is still in his arms. The Fire Nation baby lets out a fearful sound, but thankfully looks okay as the teen jumps to his feet.</p>
<p>“I still have the baby! Do you want to hurt him!?” Sokka shouts to his attacker as she swings out of one of the holes in the wooden ground, protectively clutching the Fire Nation boy to his body..</p>
<p>The girl in front of him just looks to the side guiltily, but runs up to him to continue with her attack. </p>
<p>‘She doesn't look like she likes to do this either, but doesn’t have much of a choice. Well, I don’t have one either.’</p>
<p>He extends one of his arms to the front, turning sideways in an attempt to not hurt the baby with his flames, and lets the fire flow into his hand.</p>
<p>He sees the shock appear in his enemy's face before he even releases the collected heat.</p>
<p>With a swing of his arm he releases a torrent of flames, strengthened by both the sun and the easily flammable ground, rushing towards his enemy like a destructive wave.</p>
<p>The girl reacts immediately, jumping to the side, trying to not lose momentum. Sokka creates another blast, but this time weaker, the unusual burden of the baby making him slower in calling up his fales.</p>
<p>But now the flame is too small, the girl avoiding it by jumping into the air, straight to him. He prepares another attack when a whip of water constricts around her ankle, dragging her away and throwing her at the gloomy looking girl.</p>
<p>Sokka gives his sister a thumbs up when he hears a very familiar roar from the distance. Appa quickly flies to the side of the platform, letting Sokka jump on.</p>
<p>That is when he hears Katara cry out behind him. He sees his sister seemingly struggle with her movements, failing to raise her water into the air.</p>
<p>As the enemies advance to her Sokka can feel panic swell up in his body, the emotions fueling his flames as he releases a  powerful wave of flames as Appa rises into the air.</p>
<p>The wild flames flow over the wooden platform, creating a burning wall between the parties, stopping the enemies' advance.</p>
<p>Katara uses that moment to run to him, jumping onto Appa’s back as soon as she can, Sokka grabbing her arm to give her balance after whatever that jumpy girl did.</p>
<p>“A firebender from the water tribe fighting non benders from the Fire Nations seems like a bad joke.” He tells Katara as she settles onto Appa, Sokka catching her as she struggles to raise her arms.</p>
<p>To his surprise it is one of the enemy girls who answers. “I know! That's so weird!” She shouts happily from beyond the wall of flames, Sokka only just spotting her face through the wildfire.</p>
<p>‘Is it just me or does she look happy that we are getting away? Is it a trap?’ He thinks as Appa rises into the air, Sokka looks around frantically in case the two girls have another ace up their sleeve. </p>
<p>But his worry seems to be unnecessary, and soon they have put enough distance between them.</p>
<p>“Over there!” Katara suddenly shouts, pointing at a slope of the mail system with her still shaky arms. ‘What did that girl even do?’ He thinks as he steers Appa to her target, soon spotting Aang there.</p>
<p>“Hop on!” Sokka calls to the airbender, but a fireball rushes right between the two, driving them apart as the princess slowly starts to catch up.</p>
<p>She fires another fireball at Appa, but Sokka takes control of it to redirect it.</p>
<p>He feels the flames heat as soon as he reaches out to it, but somehow cold and emotionless at the same time. It feels so foreign and different that he barely knows how to handle it, only just manages to direct it to the side.</p>
<p>At least he's not the only confused with the situation as Azula looks like a mixture between surprised and offended that someone blocked her attack.</p>
<p>It doesn't seem to bother her for long though as she fires another blast at Aang and Bumi. The airbender creates a sphere of air right in front of his path, launching the imprisoned king into the air, avoiding the attack.</p>
<p>Sokka and Katara try to grab the man, but he is barely out of their reach, falling down into a more narrow passage, stopping the siblings from following.</p>
<p>But the princess doesn't have that problem, immediately racing after the avatar.</p>
<p>The princess releases another blast, this one looking even more dangerous than before, as suddenly Bumi jumps into action, raising a boulder from the rail, just in front of Azula’s cart, stopping her in her tracks immediately.</p>
<p>The siblings steer Appa down to the building they saw Aang slide into, reaching the boy as he has a sad expression on his face.</p>
<p>One the other side of the building they see Bumi push himself up the mail system with his earthbending again.</p>
<p>“Isn't he...?” Sokky asks, Aang just shaking his head.</p>
<p>“I will explain later.” He tells the sibling as he jumps on Appa, the groups rising into the air and out of the city.</p>
<p>They land at the now abandoned campsite of the ex Omashu citizens, the people already having started their way to the west. But it should be safe for now, as Aang sits down to tell them about what Bumi said to him.</p>
<p>Sokka doesn't exactly understand how listening first is important for an earthbender -his fire needing the exact opposite- but he will listen to the insane king. And it does sound kinda logical, after all.</p>
<p>Even if the means they now have to blindly search every settlement they come across a person that fits the description.</p>
<p>“Bumi told me that one has to keep his eyes open to learn wherever they can, even if origins can be misleading.” Aang lets out a sigh. “I really wish he would be a little more clear with his advice.”</p>
<p>And Sokka can't agree with that more.</p>
<p>As the sun sets, Sokka gives the Fire Nation baby into Aang’s arms, gently loosening the small one’s hands from his clothing.</p>
<p>The baby gives out a sad huff as he is forced to let go of Sokka, the firebender giving him a smile as he ruffles his hair for the last time.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Aang will take you to your mom.” He tells the child, giving them a small wave before Aang flies into the night sky, disappearing into the darkness.</p>
<p>Even if he will never admit it to his sister, he thinks he is going to miss this little one.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I made Tom Tom instinctively know Sokka being a Firebender so I could have a big brother Sokka moment. Judge me. I think it's cute.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. The Swamp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the gaang flies over a swamp so wide that they can't see its edge, they are dragged down into its murky depth, and Sokka is confronted with both past and present.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger note: Panic attack</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The gaang flies through the warm winds of the midday sun, Sokka taking in the relaxing rays of the sun when suddenly a weird feeling sinks into his body, like cold water into fur.</p><p>He quickly sits up and looks around. Nothing really stands out, until he notices them slowly get closer to the ground.</p><p>“Are we landing for a reason? I really don't feel good about this place.” He asks the airbender, but doesn't receive an answer. “Aang! Why are we going down?” he calls out to the boy, whose head snaps up as if he was disturbed from some kind of trance.</p><p>“What? Sorry. I didn't notice.” He answers as he urges Appa to hold his height.</p><p>Sokka looks down to the dense vegetation again. He should like his current surroundings, the warm weather and clear midday sun usually being his favorite, but right now it just feels … tense. Pressuring.</p><p>A shiver runs down his back as he pears into the endlessly stretching green, almost making it feel like he is getting watched, eyes hiding behind each and every leaf.</p><p>He never thought he would be afraid of a forest, one that he isn't even in, but he also didn't expect to travel with the avatar. </p><p>‘I guess there is a first for everything.’</p><p>“This might sound weird,” Aang suddenly says, getting the siblings attention. “But I think the forest is calling to me.”</p><p>Katara looks kind of doubtful, but Sokka isn't going to dismiss both his and Aang’s instinct. But that doesn't mean he is going to trust a random forest, even if it’s spirit related.</p><p>“I feel it too, but for me at least it doesn't really seem... safe.” He tells the airbender. “I don't know what kind of spirit is here, but the air alone feels heavy enough that I’m pretty sure it's strong. Lets better avoid it to be safe.”</p><p>But Katara gives her brother a slightly mocking look. “Since when did you become the spirit expert around here? I think Aang knows more about spirits then you.”</p><p>The firebender is about to answer when Aang jumps in. “That's right! I completely forgot with all that happened at the north pole! How in the spirit's name did you meet Koh the face stealer!?” The boy near shouts.</p><p>Sokka rubs the back of his neck. “It's kind of a unusual story. I can tell you, but can we just get out of here for now? This area feels about half as strong as the ocean spirit but far less self controlled. I can tell you about my time in the spirit world once we get out of here, okay?”</p><p>He asks hopefully. He should have told his companions about it anyway, and if that also helps him in getting away from this scary forest it is even better. Especially since the pressure only grows the farther they fly.</p><p>“You actually remember-?! But okay. You tell us when we are out of here.” Aang says as he turns his attention to Appa again.</p><p>He gives the dense woods another thoughtful look. “Bumi said I wait and listen, and right now it actually feels like I’m hearing the earth. So I can't just ignore it.” He tells the siblings, giving the green ground a hard look.</p><p>“I would prefer if you did. We talked about painlessly rushing somewhere only recently right?” And luckily for Sokka this time his sister agrees with him, and seemingly even Momo, if the animal's expression is anything to go by, is on his side.</p><p>“I don't know Aang. This place somehow feels really ominous.” Katara tells the airbender as she looks down from Appa’s back.</p><p>That seems enough for Aang to give in. “Okay. Let's just get out of here for now. Bye swamp.” He agrees, making the bison rise higher into the air as he moves to the fastest way away from forested ground.</p><p>But right that moment, directly in front of their eyes the clouds begin to shift, a violent tornado appearing right in front of their eyes, rushing directly to them.</p><p>Sokka doesn't even have enough time to shout before he is picked up by the winds, barely holding onto Appa’s saddle.</p><p>Aang tries to make the bison dodge the raging storm, but it almost feels like it's following them. Always changing to the same direction they try to escape in. </p><p>It only takes another moment until they are swallowed by the winds, the firebender getting dragged away, his sister desperately trying to stop him from flying away by freezing herself to the saddle as she holds his hand.</p><p>A small moment of relief washes over Sokka as Aang creates a sphere of wind around them, shielding them from the external storm that he is sure of is the forest's spirit doing.</p><p>With fear in his eyes he sees as their protective wall slowly shrinks as Aang loses his energy, soon bursting as they are picked up into the storm, getting thrown around violently without knowing up or down.</p><p>Before he knows it he feels leaves and branches hit his body and face, getting caught up in some vines before crashing in the muddy water below.</p><p>‘Stupid spirit. At least Koh didn't randomly attack me. He feels really fair and chill compared to this. Why did Aang even look so afraid when he talked about him? The only scary thing about him is his looks, right?’</p><p>The firebender sits up, trying to get the disgusting swamp mud from his clothing, but gives up relatively soon. This doesn't look like it's cleaned easily, so he will just have to live with it for now.</p><p>But that stops being his biggest worry immediately.</p><p>Suddenly he feels eyes focus on him, as if someone is standing right behind him. </p><p>He turns around, a flame already in his palm, ready to attack whoever was sneaking up on him, but he finds nothing.</p><p>He hears a rustling to his side and is about to throw a fireball at it when he notices the bright orange colour.</p><p>“Aang, don't scare me like that. I nearly fried you.” He tells the boy, lowering his flame and extinguishing it as  he sees his sister stop out of the leaves behind the airbender.</p><p>“Sorry. Didn't mean to. Are you okay?” He says as he inspects the older boy.</p><p>“Mostly. Didn't break anything, somehow. Whatever spirit did this seems to want us alive. For now at least.” He says as he looks around. “Have any of you seen Appa or Momo?”</p><p>Aang shakes his head with a sad expression, Katara answering for him. “No. They must have been thrown into a different direction.”</p><p>“Well, it seems like someone doesn't want us to leave. Did you try the bison whistle already?” the teen asks.</p><p>“It's still on Appa. I didn’t think about taking it out of the bag in the panic. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. It's not your fault. And I’m sure that Appa can take care of Momo and himself. He is a giant flying bison after all.” He tries to lift the boy’s spirit. “Can you try to climb up and look if there is some kind lane where they could have crashed?”</p><p>The airbender nods and jumps up the trees without problem, soon being out of the firebenders view, only his shout for his pets being heard. But the sound is muffled by the thick leaves, barely catchable even  from this small distance.</p><p>“This won't help us. Do you have any ideas?” Sokka asks his sister, receiving a regretful head shake in return.</p><p>“I wish I had more experience with finding someone in a dense forest. Who would have thought I would ever need to know that. In the south we were lucky to find a single tree!” He complains, the familiar action seemingly calming his sister.</p><p>The water tribe boy hears Aang drop gracefully on the roots beside them. “I didn't see anything, and without my glider I can fly high enough to take a better look. I didn't even see any traces of the tornado.”</p><p>“Not even a trace of its damage?” Sokka asks, receiving a handshake in response. “You don't happen to know a way to call for the spirit and ask what it wants?” He asks, but the ‘no’ he receives as an answer doesn't exactly surprise him.</p><p>“So, what are we doing?” Katara asks the boys as she climbs out of the murky water, trying to get onto ground she can actually see. “We could try to find Appa and Momo or the spirit, right?”</p><p>“Let's search for the two first. The spirit is going to have to show himself if he wants something.” Aang decides, visibly angry to be separated from his other two companions.</p><p>They start walking into a more or less random direction, the only reason to choose this being the avatars instinct. Sokka would like to help too, maybe trying to find the spirit, but the energy in this swamp is flooding all his senses, drowning out every trail he could have picked up.</p><p>‘I think I’m going to get a headache if this continues. It's almost as if the spirit is right here, but at the same time not. What is going in here?’</p><p>As they walk through the swamp the sun slowly starts to go down. Sokka can actually feel it still over the horizon, but the vegetation makes it seem like it's in the middle of the night.</p><p>“We should take a break for now. We are bound to get hurt if we can't see where we are going.” Katara tells the others.</p><p>“You're probably right. We won't be able to see them anyway. And we heard how badly the sound travels around here, so shouting is out too.” He says as a swarm of insects flies into his face.</p><p>He lets a flame erupt from his body, getting rid of them easily, but in the fading light of the flame he can see the glint of dozens of eyes in the darkness. Immediately he relights the fire in his palm, only a scurry sounding from where the eyes were.</p><p>He takes a step back to his friends, their terrified expressions telling him they saw it too. “We have to make a fire. Now.” He says as he picks up a bunch of leaves from the ground, the other two hurrying to find something burnable too.</p><p>But they try to move from each other's side, not stepping out of Sokka’s light. </p><p>Katara manages to get a partly dry looking branch from a piece of wood floating in the water, Aang getting some broken branches from the trees.</p><p>Sokka ignites it immediately, the gentle light slightly calming his racing pulse, but he knows that this won't hold for long, but they definitely won't go deeper into the forest while it is this dark.</p><p>A terrifying shriek halls through the swamp, causing the group to jump together, only for its source to turn out to be a regular looking bird. </p><p>‘There is seriously something wrong with this place.’</p><p>“I will try to go to sleep first, you wake me once the fire burns out. We should avoid being in the dark at all cost.” He tells the others, getting a nod in return as he lets himself drop to the ground right beside the fire, drifting off into an exhausted sleep immediately.</p><p> </p><p>But his awakening isn't as pleasant as he wants it to be. </p><p>A shriek makes him jump out of his slumber, and he immediately notices the vine that painfully tightens around his ankle, dragging him away from the fire.</p><p>His companions suffer the same fate, their cries echoing through the forest.</p><p>Sokks takes out his machete, stabbing it into the roots under him to stop  himself from getting dragged into the darkness even further. He releases a violent blast of fire from his entangled feet, illuminating the forest around him.</p><p>The heat burns the vines to cinders immediately, the missing energy because of the lacking sun being replaced with that up pure adrenaline as his flame’s light reveals even more vines slithering in the dark.</p><p>“Katara! Aang!” The firebender shouts as he runs back up to where their camp was, only to find the fire extinguished and the other two missing.</p><p>A slithering sound on the ground beside him catches his attention, a wave of plants creeping up on him like a swarm of snakes.</p><p>He throws a flame at the advancing plantlife, but it only burns the top layer which is soon replaced with new ones rising up from the swampy water.</p><p>“Shit! “ He shouts as he turns to run away, releasing a wall of flames behind his back.</p><p>He slides down a moss covered root into a foggy pathway between the trees. He hears another sound behind him and throws a fireball at the source, burning the vine and throwing up a cloud of steam, making the fog even worse.</p><p>He stumbles through the white mist, but thankfully doesn't hear any more sounds except his own steps in the muddy ground.</p><p>“Guys?” He asks carefully, not wanting to attract the attention of the aggressive vegetation again. ‘Why am I even trying. I know how bad sound travels here.’</p><p>He slowly feels how the sun climbs up the horizon, even if the light has yet to reach through the thick layer of leaves.</p><p>‘Stupid spirit. Why can't it just leave us alone. I should have just burned this whole forest down. It would definitely deserve it.’</p><p>He steps through another hole under the roots he is walking around, cutting the vines in his way with his machete. If the swamp is trying to kill him anyway, he will give it a good reason to.</p><p>“Katara! Aang! Can you hear me?!” He desperately shouts into the foggy depth of the swamp, but gets nothing in return.</p><p>He cuts another vine right in front of his face to let out at least a bit of his anger, when he steps into some kind of hollow in between the massive stems of the surrounding tree. From a hole in the ceiling of leaves shines a small ray of light, directly onto-</p><p>“Yue.” The word leaves his mouth without his control as he runs to the ghostly figure in front of him. “No. This is just a trick of the light. Swamp gas, maybe. Or did I hit my head as I was running away?” He talks to himself, the figure of his fallen friend unmoving in front of him.</p><p>He closes his eye and takes a deep breath, but when he opens them again she is still floating right in front of his eyes, just like when he saw her last.</p><p>The image alone makes a piercing pain run through his chest.</p><p>“You didn't protect me.” Her voice drags him out of his thoughts, echoing as if coming from the depth of the ocean. “You could have saved me. You let me die.” Her voice turns more hostile with every word.</p><p>“No! I did everything I could! I’m sorry I was too weak to protect you!” He tells her as he walks up to her, but as he tries to grab her hand she disappears in a flash of light, making him fall to the ground.</p><p>When he looks up again she has disappeared, only leaving behind the gently glowing beam of sunlight. </p><p>He takes in a deep breath. ‘This is not real, right? But it just felt so … authentic. And with all the spiritual energy around here I don’t even know what's true anymore. But it's probably just some kind of  hallucination, right?’</p><p>He stands up and turns, turning around to come face to face with another person.</p><p>He lets out a shriek as he falls into the muddy water, his eyes now focused on the people standing before his eyes.</p><p>Right in front of him stands Yue, his parents and for some reason Zuko.</p><p>“Why did you even think you were good enough for me? You didn't deserve the time I spent with you.” Yue says in a hostile voice. “You are nothing more than a lying, arrogant and weak peasant.” </p><p>Zuko takes a step closer to him, his eyes looking down on the watertribe boy with so much venom in them it makes the boy flinch. “You don't deserve anyone. Every bit of affection is wasted on you. Who do you even think you are?!” He ends with a shout. </p><p>Helplessly his eyes drift to his mother, looking just like the day he lost her, except the angry glint in her eyes. “Do you think I wanted to have something like you? An ever present reminder of the greatest pain in my life?!” She shouts at him.</p><p>He tries to crawl backwards as the tears start to pool in his eyes. ‘No. Don't listen. It's just- It's just some kind of hallucination.’</p><p>“But isn't it true?” Suddenly a voice is in his head, sounding just like his own. “Did they tell you even a single lie?” It continues as the boy clutched his head.</p><p>Suddenly the image of his mother is standing right in front of him again, looking down to the boy with disdain in her eyes. “If it wasn't for you I would have been able to live a peaceful life! Do you even know how much pain you caused me?!”</p><p>“I’m sorry! I-'' Sokka tries but is interrupted by his father stepping out of the shadows.</p><p>“Do you think we will just accept that you lie to us for all these years?” He says in a hard voice as more warriors surround him. “You are a disgrace to everything our trieb stands for! The only reason the women at the village tolerated you was because they had to!”</p><p>Tears flow out of the firebenders eyes as he covers his ears, trying to block out the voices. But they continue to flow through his head. “Traditor!” “Ash spawn!” The villagers shout as his breath and heart quickens.</p><p>Every word continues to fill his emotions, and his inner flame begins to waver despite his desperate attempt to keep it under control, but it is too much. In a blast of flames all his emotions are released, together with all the pent up pain.</p><p>It flows out of him in a destructive wave, taking out the phantoms surrounding him together with all the vegetation that happens to be too close.</p><p>Sokka feels how the uncontrollable flames begin to burn into his skin, the voices continuing in his head.</p><p>“Enough.” A voice suddenly comes, and all the hateful illusions disappear, together with the raging emotions and flames, as if swallowed by a big void before they slowly return, but slow enough so the firebender can get them under control.</p><p>“It had never much understanding of the condition of the living, but this ‘test’ is really taking it too far.” The voice comes from all around him at the same time.</p><p>“Koh.” Sokka forces out, looking around to see the source of the voice but can't find the spirit.</p><p>“Don't bother little flame. I’m only here in energy. This young one needed to learn a lesson in self control. You are too interesting to get caught up in this fool's idiocy.”</p><p>A wave of coldness flows through the area, casting away the pressuring energy, and for a moment Sokka can take a deep breath.</p><p>“I didn't like them anyway. A forest just developing a personality just goes against my nature. … This help was a one time thing, but I would appreciate you staying interesting as thanks.” Koh tells him before the presence disappears, the forrests energy slowly flows in again.</p><p>Sokka stands up on unsteady legs, his knees still shaking from the shock and exhaustion.</p><p>He starts walking into a random direction, just trying to get away from this place. </p><p>“I was all an illusion, some cheap trick by whatever entity is in control here. Koh said that himself, and as far as I know he isn't the type to lie.” the watertribe boy tells himself, but the memory is still fresh in his mind.</p><p>Were the illusions really wrong? He did only make the people's life harder, he did lie to everyone, and it was because of his weakness that Yue died.</p><p>But he is ripped out of his thoughts when he hears a shout approach from a distance. He readies his machete and a flame in his other hand, but before he knows something is crashing into his back, throwing him down the root.</p><p>He turns around and is about to throw a fireball at his attacker when he spots two familiar faces. “Aang! Katara! I’m so glad you are okay. Are you hurt?” He asks in a worried voice. </p><p>‘Did they see something like me?’ he worried as he studied their faces. Aang seems to be completely okay but his sister looks visibly disturbed.</p><p>“Katara?” He asks her in a voice as comforting as he can manage. </p><p>“I’m okay. I just… I just saw something.” She tells him in a tired voice.</p><p>“You saw things too? Are you okay?” He asks his sister, setting a comforting voice on her shoulder.</p><p>“...I thought I saw mom. … Wait, you saw something too?” She asks, her eyes now equally worried for her brother.</p><p>“Yes.” He admits. “But I don't want to talk about it.” He tells her, looking away to avoid her worried glance. She knows it's bad.</p><p>“I just followed some girl in a fancy dress I never saw before.” Aang admits guiltily as he approaches the sibling.</p><p>“Be happy about it. But for now we have to get out of here, no matter what or we are going to go insane. By now I’m ready to burn this whole forest down if necessary.” He admits to the others, and while Aang looks horrified at the words Katara looks at him in understanding.</p><p>“Let's try to avoid that for now. For now we should try to find out where we even are.” Katara tells him in her motherly voice.</p><p>“We are at the center.” Aang suddenly tells them from the side, his eyes focused on the enormous tree towering over them. How did Sokka not notice it before?</p><p>“It's the heart of the swap. It must have been calling us here.” Aang tells the others.</p><p>“Then talk to the damn thing and tell it to let us go.” Sokka tells the airbender, still keeping an angry look at the tree in front of them.</p><p>Aang nods to the teen, turning around when suddenly a masked monster made out of vines shouts out of the  water.</p><p>The three let out a shout as they dodge a strike of the monster's arm, crashing into the root they have been standing on.</p><p>The structure of the monster's arm shifts, splitting up into the vines it is made out of as they try to grab Sokka.</p><p>But by now the firebender has had enough. His pent up anger and frustration fuels his flames, a violent torrent of flames flowing out of his body and to the vines that try to grab him.</p><p>The plants try to retract, but Sokka makes the fire spread further till it reaches the main body, the flames growing more and more.</p><p>The swamp monster wavers, moving backwards as it discards its arm, the burning vines falling into the swampy water.</p><p>Aang and Katara use that moment to help Sokka in his battle, joining the fight while the enemy is distracted. </p><p>Katara lets the water around the monster freeze, creeping up its body until it's frozen in place.</p><p>The monster swings its remaining arm, causing the vines from the area to slither to it. But Aang doesn't give him a chance to recover, blowing the plants away with a strong stormwind.</p><p>Sokka charges up another blast of fire throwing it at the creature, blasting its other arm right off. But suddenly he sees something peek out of the swamp monsters body.</p><p>“There is someone inside, bending the vines!” He shouts to his friends. Katara seems to see it too, making her ice spread out further, cutting into the vines and revealing the person inside.</p><p>They try to recover but Aang blows the plants away, causing the man to be weaponless.</p><p>“Why are you trying to kill us!” The boy shouts, threateningly pointing his staff at the man.</p><p>“I’m not trying to kill you. I’m just trying to get you out of my home.” the swamp dweller answers.</p><p>“Well, then make sure that your home isn't calling for us!” Sokka shouts to him, some sparks escaping from his mouth.</p><p>“The swamp did what?” The man asks them, a confused look on his face.</p><p>“When we were flying over and I heard something calling out to me, telling me to land.” Aang tries to explain, but still stays in a fighting position.</p><p>“He is the avatar.” Sokka clarifies. “Stuff like that just happens sometimes.”</p><p>The man seems contemplative, looking like he searches their faces for a lie,  before finally nodding. “I understand. Come with me.”</p><p>He leads them to the huge tree they saw before, introducing himself as Hugh. “I protect this place from people who try to attack it, scaring out anyone who might be a danger to it.” He tells them, his eyes drifting to Sokka.</p><p>Sokka lets out a sigh. By now he should be used to people seeing him as a danger because of his bending, but it still hurts.</p><p>“This forest is a mystical place.” He tells them as they reach the tree’s trunk. “I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan grove tree. I heard it calling me, just like you did.”</p><p>Sokka looked up at the plant, the energy spreading out of it making his skin feel like electricity is flowing through him.</p><p>“This whole swamp is actually just one tree, spread out over miles and miles. The roots spread and sprout new leaves, and then spread some more. One big living organism, just like the entire world.”</p><p>‘Well, that would certainly explain why it feels so old and has so much energy. And why it feels like something is always around me and watching. Simply because it is. … But Koh is right, that is creepy.’</p><p>And Sokka kind of believes the man about the forest, but the thing about the whole world being all together is just too absurd to him. He feels pretty independent. </p><p>But he has to admit, it is an interesting thought. And the thought of still being linked to people long gone brings him some kind of peace.</p><p>As Aang sits down on the root, Sokka pushes his thoughts back for later. He feels how the boy’s energy flows into the roots, spreading out like the web of a frog spider.</p><p>Suddenly the boy opens his eyes, an urgent expression on his face. “Hurry up! We have to get Appa!” He shouts and runs down into the forest, the other tree following.</p><p>By the time Sokka and Hugh catch up with more or less flying Aang and Katara who just bends all the swampy water out of her way, the other two seem to have settled whichever conflict they had with the swamp dwellers. </p><p>“Hey Hugh!” One of them greets the plant bender. “This girl is a waterbender! Just like us! I didn't know we had family outside the swamp.”</p><p>Sokka has to suppress a laugh at how Katara cringes at the words. But suddenly a thought flows into his head. ‘Maybe they have some good water tribe food! I can't wait!”</p><p>He later curses himself for having set up that flag.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I extended the swamp hallucination scene. Don't judge me! I like angst like that. And I’m not planning to let Sokka rest any time soon.<br/>And is it okay how I write Koh? As far as the theories go they probably are an ancient spirit representing the loss of individuality and personality, so I guess this could be seen as in character? And his actions are cannonly a bit random. But I try to not make this too spirit focused.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Avatar Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So, I didn't want to write this episode step by step because we all know it, so I put in some of the conversations that needed to be done.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka sits by the fire with his two companions, the warm light letting the firebender relax in this dark night. And the absence of the spiritual pressure from the swamp is definitely helping too.</p>
<p>It’s as if he can finally take a proper breath again, like after a bad illness. And man is he enjoying it. </p>
<p>‘Well, proper breathing is really important to firebenders after all.’</p>
<p>Suddenly Aang is giving him an unusually serious look. “Now that we are out of the swamp you agreed to tell us about your trip to the spirit world. You promised.”</p>
<p>Sokka nods. But admittingly, he would have forgotten about that. </p>
<p>The firebender lets out a sigh. “Okay, but I have to say I don't fully understand it myself yet.”</p>
<p>He looks at the two other’s faces, finding interest in Katara’s and worry in Aang’s.</p>
<p>“Aang, you were there when Hei Bai dragged me into it, right? I don't remember that part even now, when I gained consciousness I was already there.” He explains.</p>
<p>He goes on to tell them about the forest and the small fire spirits he saw, how they playfully drifted around his body. Now that he thinks about it he kind of misses them, somehow.</p>
<p>‘How do I miss something I only saw for such a short time?’</p>
<p>He shakes himself out of his thoughts and focuses back on Aang, attempting  to explain the small flames and the forest to Aang, but even to himself the explanation seems… incomplete. As if he didn't know the right words to describe it.</p>
<p>But he continued on, finally coming to Koh. “Aang? What did Koh even tell you?” He asks the airbender.</p>
<p>“Not that much, actually. I myself am still confused. He just told me he was thankful that I set someone interesting in motion. Said that the ‘little flame’ in my group has caught his eyes. But if that really is you then it can't be good, Koh is an ancient evil and dangerous spirit.” The boy finishes, surprising Sokka.</p>
<p>“Well, he was kind to me. Did you do something that made him angry?” The firebender asks Aang.</p>
<p>The boy turns to the side and awkwardly rubs the neck. “One of my former lives supposedly tried to kill him.” The boy admits to his two companions.</p>
<p>The firebender gives him a deadpan look. “Well, no wonder he doesn't like you. He is an ancient spirit, right? A former life for you probably feels like yesterday for him! It doesn't surprise me that he is angry about that!” The water tribe boy shouts, throwing up his hands. Even Katara nods in agreement.</p>
<p>Aang lets out a sigh. “I get it. And even I don't know exactly what happened. But Koh told me that it was because he had the face of someone my former life loved, but he could be lying.”</p>
<p>“Koh don't lie, I think. He told you about the moon and ocean spirit, right?” the teen asks, receiving a nod in response. “See? He helped you even though he was probably angry at you. He might look scary but I think Koh is at least completely fair and reasonable.” ‘Hopefully.’</p>
<p>Sokka lets his mind drift over all he knows of the spirit, which isn't much, but the spirit had also helped him in the swamp even if he had nothing to gain for it. </p>
<p>Not that he is going to tell the other two that, or he would also have to tell them about the illusions the swamp showed him, and he will definitely not do that. They worry enough as it is.</p>
<p>Aang still looks skeptical, Sokka’s opinion being the complete opposite of his own, but seems too tired to argue at this point.</p>
<p>The boy is looking as if he is going to fall asleep upright soon, his eyes drifting shut again and again, but his interest in Sokka’s experience keeping him awake.</p>
<p>After all, he never had anyone to talk about the spirit world before. But the cross legged position the boy is currently in makes Sokka have an idea.</p>
<p>“You know Aang, there is something I wanted to ask you. How do you enter the spirit world?”</p>
<p>The airbender gives him a questioning look. “Just normal meditating, I guess. I never really thought about it that hard. I concentrate and it just… happens. But it is much easier in certain places like Hei Bai’s forest or the spirit oasis. Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Well, I kind of thought about if I could enter the spirit world again.” He admits, sending shock into Aang’s face.</p>
<p>“But it's dangerous there! There also are many vicious spirits!” The boy tells him, jumping up and walking over to the older boy.</p>
<p>‘That doesn't sound safe, but wait a minute.’ “If it's that dangerous, why do you keep going there?”</p>
<p>Guilt seeps into the airbender’s eyes. “Well, someone has to do it, and I’m the avatar. Who else is supposed to go?”</p>
<p>But by now Sokka had enough close calls to just let the boy throw himself head first into even more danger. “Then from now one you aren't going to go alone. The next time you go into the spirit world I’m coming with you.” He tells the other in a decisive voice.</p>
<p>“But-! You don't even know how to!” The boy tries to discourage the water tribe boy, but Sokka stays adamant.</p>
<p>“Then you will have to teach me. If Katara is anything to go by, teaching helps you understand it better yourself and I’m definitely not sending you there alone again.”</p>
<p>Aang looks to the side, trying to get support from Katara, but thankfully she is on her brother's side. “I also think that you shouldn't go alone if you have another choice. You could cover each other's backs.” She tells the airbender, even if she still seems a bit baffled about all the new information about the spirit world.</p>
<p>‘And she is normally supposed to be the one interested in this stuff.’ He laughs internally. ‘Who would have thought things would turn out this way?’</p>
<p>“We should start as soon as possible. Maybe even tomorrow. We can never know when we need to enter the spirit world next.” Sokka decides. Aang looks like he is about to refuse, but when he sees the faces of the siblings, he gives in.</p>
<p>“Okay. But you have to promise me to listen to me when it gets dangerous and just run away and leave things to me.” Aang tries to reason.</p>
<p>“Okay. You have a deal.” Sokka lies without any guilt. As if he could leave the boy to fend for himself like that. Helping him was the reason Sokka wanted to come with him after all.</p>
<p>The firebender lets out a deep yawn. “But we should sleep for now. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. Night.” He tells the other ones as he slips into his sleeping bag, the others taking out their thin blankets.</p>
<p>Katara gives a small laugh at his for this climate overly warm sleeping arrangement, but lets her eyes drift shut without another word.</p>
<p>Sokks sees Aang's eyes drift shut too and lets his own do the same. ‘Tomorrow will probably be another long day.’ He thinks to himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But his awakening isn't nearly as peaceful as falling asleep. He shoots up a he feels a trembling go through the ground, his eyes snapping open as adrenaline flows through his veins.</p>
<p>And just in time, as he immediately has to throw up a wall of flames to block a fireball from flying into his face.</p>
<p>He frantically looks around, taking in the group of Fire Nation soldiers surrounding them. Well, maybe soldiers is the wrong word, considering that none of them seems to be clad in the usual uniform. </p>
<p>‘Did they send out tracks to capture us?’ He muses, taking in the hunter like clothing of the leader. It would be logical, but why only now and not earlier?’</p>
<p>The group of Fire Nation men has cut off their escape on all sides, their komodo rhinos circling them threateningly. </p>
<p>“Give up! You are completely surrounded!” The leader shouts from a higher positioned rock, glancing down at the children.</p>
<p>But despite what Sokka would expect from his words, they don't even give them even a moment to surrender, not wasting any time on shooting arrows at the freshly awoken children. </p>
<p>Sokka manages to evade the projectiles, quickly slipping out of his sleeping bag and throwing up a wall of flames.</p>
<p>The fire is strong, fueled by a good sleep and the strong morning sun, easily blocking the attacks vision, with exception the leader, who shoots a fireball from his elevated position.</p>
<p>But before Sokka is hit, Katara releases a water whip, extinguishing the flame instantly. And with a swift motion, she freezes the tip of her weapon, shooting it at the enemy firebender with a powerful lash.</p>
<p>The attacker doesn't have enough time to evade, blocking the frozen projectile with his arm guards, but the force behind the attack is strong enough to throw him out of his saddle onto the hard ground.</p>
<p>Sokka can hear the man groan as he tries to pick himself off the rocky floor, struggling to get his foot out of the tethered bands of the saddle.</p>
<p>The boy is just climbing onto Appa when he hears a shout from his sister. </p>
<p>“My scrolls!” She shouts as she jumps off the bison’s back, Aang right behind her to grab his staff.</p>
<p>From the edge of his vision Sokka spots the enemy leader getting to his feet again, shooting a violent beam of fire at Katara’s defenseless back.</p>
<p>Sokka reaches out with his inner flame, taking control of the enemy fire, but the enemy has a tight grip on it and the boy can only just make it miss the waterbender.</p>
<p>As he is forced to take his attention away from his flame wall protecting them from the other attackers, the defense fissils out, the other fighters using the moment to rush in.</p>
<p>One of them throws some kind of explosive, but thankfully Aang has reached his staff by now, blowing it back at his attackers. The detonation rocks the ground, making Sokka’s ears ring as a tree falls in the enemies path, blocking their advance.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy has to block another fireball from the enemies’ leader as his two companions climb onto Appa as the animal flies into the air.</p>
<p>But that is the moment he spots something lying next to his sleeping bag. He grabs the side of his belt, only now noticing the missing weight as shock flows into his veins.</p>
<p>“Wait! My boomerang!” He shouts, his eyes still focus on the weapon.</p>
<p>“There is no time!” Katara tells him, dragging him back to the center of the saddle.</p>
<p>“Oh I see. So there is time to get you scrolls and your staff but no time for my boomerang?!” He shouts to them.</p>
<p>“That's correct!” Katara simply says, not even looking the slightest bit guilty.</p>
<p>He snappy his head back to the clearing, and for a moment he contemplates just jumping down Appa’s back and to fight the Fire Nation men for it.</p>
<p>He knows he can dampen his fall with his flames, even if they sadly are not strong enough to hold him in the air -yet, his ambitious mind supplies- but just lets out a sad sigh.</p>
<p>He can’t risk the safety of the journey for some trinket like that, even if it is important to him. He is responsible for the safety of his sister after all, and even if Aang is the avatar, he is still a child, and the water tribe boy isn't going to endanger him more than necessary.</p>
<p>He just gives one last look as they fly off into the distance. It’s just a little trinket, right. He will get over it in no time, right?</p>
<p>_________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He is definitely not getting over it.</p>
<p>It has only been half an hour and the missing weight of the weapon on his hip is making him feel weird all over, messing up his balance that slightest bit, but heavily noticeable to him.</p>
<p>What was he even thinking?! This was the last thing he crafted together with his father before the warriors went away to fight the Fire Nation, just having long enough so that the man was able to teach him the basics.</p>
<p>He trained with it so many times to distract himself from his surroundings, making him feel just like a normal water tribe boy, not having to hide being a bender or having to take care of an entire village.</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh as he drifts to the ground. ‘I should have gotten it. I would have probably been able to get it back if I had tried.’</p>
<p>At least Aang seems to be sympathetic, setting his hand on the older's shoulder in a comforting fashion.</p>
<p>“Sorry about you boomerang.” He tells the older in a soft voice, even if he doesn't look like he can relate at all.</p>
<p>The firebender just stays silent. He knows he isn't the best at holding in both his words and emotions, so he tries to just keep his mouth shut, silently taking the basket of supplies they bought from their leftover money.</p>
<p>But his curiosity is quickly getting the better of him as he hears something interesting leave the store owners mouth. ”The avatar day?”</p>
<p>“You guys are going to the festival as well, right? I’m not gonna miss it. It’s only once per year after all!” He tells them as he walks in the direction of the city, leaving them with more questions than before.</p>
<p>For now they decide to take a look. Aang is amazed at the possibility of a festival to his honor, jumping around so much that Sokka has trouble keeping him from flying through the air.</p>
<p>He himself is mostly just lured by the possibility of cheap food. They travel on a budget after all, and with how often they are forced to leave behind their supplies, the money tends to drain fast.</p>
<p>‘And it might be a good distraction’, he thinks to himself as his hand drifts to the empty space where his boomerang should be.</p>
<p>They manage to convince Aang to put on a disguise, telling him that it would be better to stay low to avoid getting the Fire Nation on their trail, and thankfully the boy agrees. Sokka really needs a peaceful end to this day.</p>
<p>But his hopes for peace are stated pretty much instantly as he sees the statues of the avatars go up in flames as the townspeople loudly chant ‘Down with the avatar’ all in sync.</p>
<p>‘Why can't we just find a normal town for once?!’ He thinks, but holds himself back from shouting it out loud. Attention is the last thing he wants right now.</p>
<p>But to his utter dismay his sister doesn't seem to share this opinion as she immediately jumps  forwards and extinguishes the flames before they have the chance to spread over the whole statues.</p>
<p>The firebender knows why she did it, the pained look from Aang standing next to him obvious, but he really would have preferred it if they just silently walked out of here like it would be logical to.</p>
<p>And if the angry looks and sounds the people give them is anything to go by, that won't be possible, especially when he sees Aang jump up on one of the statues to lead the angry shouts away from Katara, revealing his identity along the way.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a sigh but keeps his mouth shut for now. He won't be able to salvage this anyway. But he does begin to build up the heat in his body, readying them for the moment when they will have to escape.</p>
<p>Sadly, it doesn't come. Instead Aang, the ever peaceful optimist, tries to convince the citizens of his innocence, letting himself get imprisoned in the process.</p>
<p>Why was Sokka even surprised at this point?</p>
<p>Why isn't he surprised about the claims that the avatar killed someone?</p>
<p>Their role is the balance of the world after all, and even with his small overview over the history of the world he knows how many tyrannical kings roamed these lands.</p>
<p>Aang on the other hand is sure that this is all just some kind of misunderstanding, and asks the siblings to try and find clues for his innocence, not agreeing with Sokka’s suggestion to just escape and be done with it.</p>
<p>With no other real choice the siblings agree, (‘Will I even be able to say no to these puppy eyes?’) but Sokka is sure that he and his sister will break Aang out even if they don't find any proof.</p>
<p>Because why would they follow the laws of a random city whose annual tradition includes burning statues of the world's savior?</p>
<p>“But what should we do? The crime happened over 300 years ago.” Katara asks her brother as they heed back to Appa.</p>
<p>Their investigation of the cliff where Shin was supposed to be killed wasn't much of a help. The story of the shrine being build there when the murder happened dosnt line up, but it could have been rebuild, just like the footprint on the edge of the cliff.</p>
<p>But some inconsistencies are bound to be created in the 370 years since the story's creation.</p>
<p>Their only help is that the people seem to be absolutely sure that it is correct. ‘Maybe we can work with that.’</p>
<p>“Well, we only know of two parties in the confrontation. These insane people here and Kyoshi. So there is only one place we can go to.”</p>
<p>“Kyoshi island! You are right! … Or did you just want to meet up with Suki again?” She asks, wiggling her eyebrows.</p>
<p>“It's not like that!” He tells her, his face red as he turns away from her. He and Suki are just friends after all! … Or are they?</p>
<p>He isn't sure what to think after their last meeting and the following kiss. He knows that he likes Suki. She is strong, brave, beautiful and is a true warrior, but somehow he sees her as more of a friend.</p>
<p>‘I should talk things out with her once we meet her on the island. Then we can clear things up.’ He tells himself, even if he doesn't feel ready to talk about stuff like that.</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh. ‘Let's just try to get it over with.’ But he himself knows best how his history with just telling the truth looks.</p>
<p>The climb on Appa as Sokka tries to explain the current situation to the animal. He doesn't know how much the bison understands, but he gives the firebender a nod and rises up into the sky without a complaint.</p>
<p>Luckily for them Kyoshi island isn't far away. Suspiciously close even. ‘How didn't they try to take each other out by now?! They are pretty much enemies on each other's door steps!’</p>
<p>Soon they land in the center of the town, accompanied by the cheer of the townsfolk. Previously he didn't like the attention, but compared to the other greetings they recently had, this is much preferred.</p>
<p>But the energetic cries of the people stop as soon as they notice that Aang isn’t with the group. ‘Understandably.’</p>
<p>Luckily the village leader approaches them despite the scattering of the villagers.</p>
<p>“It's so good to see you.” Katara tells the man. “We need your help. Aang is in jail. The town of Ching said he murdered their leader in a past life.”</p>
<p>“They say it was Kyoshi and Aang too peaceful to just break out and want to prove that he is innocent.” Sokka adds with a sigh.</p>
<p>“Kyoshi? I will do what I can. I will lead you to her shrine. Maybe something there will help you to prove his innocence.” The leader tells them and leads them off into the mountains.</p>
<p>But on the way Sokka notices that something, or more exact someone is missing from the village. “Uhm, where are the Kyoshi warriors? Are they around?” </p>
<p>“No, they aren't. The warriors left shortly after your departure, the return of the avatar giving them new hope to fight in the war, finally seeing a chance for victory. You really had a big impact on them. Suki told me you inspired her to change the world.”</p>
<p>“Oh. That's great.” He tells the man. And he is proud to move such an amazing warrior like her,  but the thought of Suki fighting on the front lines of the war just makes him sick.</p>
<p>He gives the empty training hall one last look before he continues to walk up the mountain and it doesn't take long till they reach their destination. </p>
<p>“This temple was converted into a shrine.” the village leader explains, carefully opening the sliding door and letting them into the well kept, if a bit dusty, building.</p>
<p>The walls are lined with all kinds of different artifacts, all from clothing to weapons to small trinkets that Sokka doesn't even know the purpose of. </p>
<p>But he doesn't doubt that these objects belonged to Kyoshi. They somehow feel like they give off energy. Ancient and strong, similar to that of a spirit, but at the same time completely different.</p>
<p>Even weakened by time, it still sends a slight shiver down his back.</p>
<p>‘Is Aang gonna get this strong too? I know he is the avatar, but it's hard to imagine with his usual behavior.’</p>
<p>Katara on the other hand doesn't seem bothered by the object's ancient origins, calmly inspecting one of the robes.</p>
<p>“She really did have great taste.” She tells the others as she turns around.</p>
<p>“Please no touching” The village leader tells the waterbender as he drags her away from the exhibit. She looks annoyed by the action, but compiles anyway.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his eyes stay on the clothing tho, taking in an interesting fact. “They are really big.” </p>
<p>His sister standing next to did not reach the outfits shoulders.</p>
<p>“Oh, Kyoshi was big in both mind and body. She towered over all of the people she met.” The man tells them proudly.</p>
<p>Sokka gives a grin as he sees the admittedly enormous shoes that complete the outfit, and if his sister's face is anything to go by she figured it out too.</p>
<p>And for once things seem to work out fine. Sokka actually wouldn't have believed it if someone had told him how much evidence they would find here, but he isnt going to complain.</p>
<p>‘Man. With all this, proving Aang’s innocence will be easy.’</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He should really learn to just shut his mouth, didn't he. By now he should have known that life will never make it easy for him.</p>
<p>His eyes are focused on Aang, dressed in Kyoshi’s clothing, badly trying to explain the evidence they have collected. Not that he thinks it will make a difference with that messed up court system.</p>
<p>Still, watching the kid embarrass himself like that is just painful. He is about to stand up when he suddenly feels the winds pick up.</p>
<p>He feels his breath get stuck in his lungs as the gust collects around Aang, the thrown up sand covering him from view as the surrounding seems to lose its colour.</p>
<p>He knows what is about to happen before he even sees the person that has now taken Aang’s place, this situation being too much like the last time the avatar changed places with one of his former lives.</p>
<p>But even outside of a combat situation, Kyoshi’s aura is far more fierce than avatar Roku was. Or did he just get more sensitive with his senses? He doesn't know.</p>
<p>He only gets himself under control shortly before the previous avatar finishes her speech, or her confession to be more exact.</p>
<p>Not that he thinks it's wrong to take out a tyrannical King. They are trying to do the same after all. ‘The avatars really don't get to rest, do they?’</p>
<p>He takes in a deep breath as Kyoshi pulls back her presence, leaving behind Aang, the boy wobbling for a short moment before he catches himself.</p>
<p>But the crazy village leader recovers surprisingly fast. Declaring Aang to be guilty as he takes out a wheel to randomly determine Aang’s punishment.</p>
<p>‘Well, can't be afraid if you are to dump to understand when you are in danger.’</p>
<p>Sokka hopes with all of his might that it lands on the part with community service (Who even has that on the same board as being boiled alive?!), but once more it doesnt turn out like he hoped to.</p>
<p>With a snap of his finger the man calls up a group of people who drag in a big metal cauldron filled to the brim with bubbling hot oil, seemingly already having prepared it beforehand. </p>
<p>‘So they probably knew it was going to be this punishment from the start. Of course they wouldn't leave the sentence to coincidence.’</p>
<p>Sokka builds up his inner heat in the palm of his hand as the make Aang approach the pot of boiling oil, just waiting for the right moment for their escape. After all, in contrast to Aang, he doesn't have any qualms about hurting fanatics.</p>
<p>He is about to release his flame when he hears a shout behind his back, turning around just in time to see one of the Fire Nation men from this morning ride his komodo rhino onto the court, announcing his presence by detonating a bomb.</p>
<p>“We have come to claim this village! Now show me your leader!” He shouts as one of his group shatters the statue of Shin with one clean hit. “So we may … dethrone him.” He finishes with a grin.</p>
<p>As Sokka would expect the man in question immediately tries to hide, emphasis on tries, begging Aang for help. </p>
<p>And in a surprising smart move, which Sokka has to admit he didn't expect the airbender to do, Aang forces the man to change his sentence to community service before the boy jumps into battle.</p>
<p>‘Oh, they grow up so fast.’</p>
<p>And as much as Sokka would like to see this annoying city burn, he knows Aang would be sad about that, so he jumps into the fight as well, just in time to catch two of them before they ride into the town.</p>
<p>One of them throws a ball of fire at the nearest building, but to the man’s shock Sokka takes control of it as soon as he averts his attention, the now strengthened flames jumping back at its owner.</p>
<p>The wave of fire is strong enough to throw the man from his mount, spooking the animal into dragging him along the way as it runs out of the village in a panic.</p>
<p>Sokka turns to another blast of fire at the last man, but he quickly steers his rhino to the side, making the flame miss him from a good margin.</p>
<p>The man grabs one of the explosives from his belt, the contraption built into it igniting it as soon as it is thrown at the water tribe boy.</p>
<p>But the throw is slow, or at least slow enough. Sokka builds up a blast of flames in his hand, jumping backwards as his attack hits the explosive mid air. </p>
<p>The explosion halls through the narrow streets, creating a thick cloud of smoke, throwing the water tribe boy into the street behind him, but his enemy doesn't fare any better.</p>
<p>The Fire Nation man picks himself off the ground with a groan, looking around but being unable to spot Sokka inside the cloud of dust.</p>
<p>A grin spreads over the teen’s face as he spots the other explosives on the man's belt. He creates a small flame on the tip of his finger and targets it at the man.</p>
<p>He builds up the heats as he concentrates on his little creation, before releasing it at his enemy with a high speed. The attack hits his target before the other can react, being small and fast enough to not be detectable in the explosion's aftermath till it is too late.</p>
<p>With panicked actions the man throws the already ignited bombs onto a nearby roof, but the inevitable explosion is strong enough to blast him into a nearby wall, knocking him out instantly.</p>
<p>But in the moment of the explosion, Sokka spots something flying out of the man’s backpack!</p>
<p>“Boomerang! You do always come back!” He shouts with tears in his eyes as he rubs his face on the weapon, before placing it back into its rightful place.</p>
<p>The weight makes him relax instantly, only now really realizing how much he missed.</p>
<p>A loud shout in the distance rips him out of his happiness though, and he runs to join the others in their battles, but by the time he reaches them, it's already too late, only finding some more knocked out and frozen Fire Nation men.</p>
<p>Luckily this seems to have been enough to make the villagers believe them, and they waste no time to change their festival to be in Aang’s honor.</p>
<p>So at least it turned out well this time. </p>
<p>Not that his attention is anywhere near the party now that his boomerang is back on his side.</p>
<p>And if that night when they go to sleep he has to pointedly ignore the look his sister gives him as he crawls into his sleeping bag with his boomerang attached to his hip, he doesn't mind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Also more spirit talk. I think that because spirits are manifestations of things, and Koh’s (or what it probably is) is something evil sounding (Suppressed individuality and personality) but is actually something normal and essential, even beneficial for society, law and community, he is evil looking but isn't actually that bad. Just a bit cruel.<br/>Just my take on it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. The Blind Bandit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang is continuing their search for Aang’s earthbending teacher, but of course things are never as easy as they could be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is taking a look at the newly bought bag in his hands, inspecting it seriously with a frown on his face.</p>
<p>“I really shouldn't have bought this. Why did you let me buy this?” He asks Aang, the boy just giving him a shrug in return.</p>
<p>He lets it drop to the ground in a frustrated fashion, letting out a frustrated huff of air. But he is mostly annoyed at himself.</p>
<p>He always liked shopping, the only real chance for that at home in the south being the rare times when small Earth Kingdom trades made a stop to buy some of their pelts or carvings. Not that it happened even once while the men were away.</p>
<p>But the impulse buy he did right now really doesn't fit well with their current shortage of money. … But the shopping trip at least did help him to calm his nerves, and spirits he really needed that.</p>
<p>He doesn't know how his other companions manage it. But he suspects that Aang isn't even fully aware of what is to come. Sometimes Sokka is jealous of that childish ignorance.</p>
<p>The firebender moves his eyes to the boy standing beside him, still dressed in the clothing from master Yu’s earthbending academy. </p>
<p>After the relative ease they had in finding a waterbending master in the north Sokka hoped it would be equally easy now, but of course it never is.</p>
<p>The teen got a look of the lesson from over the wall and even with that short moment he knows why Aang doesn't think that the man should be his teacher.</p>
<p>The watertribe boy knows that earthbending probably doesn't work like firebending, but there has to be something wrong with the man's teachings. Hopefully.</p>
<p>If earthbending is really based on that mindset their travels will be far from pleasant. Even more than they already are.</p>
<p>He returns his eyes to the alley Katara followed the two of Yu’s students into, just in time to see her jog out of it with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>“Are you ready to find an earthbending teacher? Because we are going to Earth Rumble 6!” She declares.</p>
<p>“How did you get them to tell you?” The airbender asks, surprised.</p>
<p>“Oh, a girl has her ways.”</p>
<p>But from the glint in her eyes Sokka can see it's not because she is a girl, but probably because she can be terrifying if she wants to. Not that he will ever tell her that.</p>
<p>He never wants to be on the bad side of that ever again.</p>
<p>The firebender picks up the bag as he heads after his companions, careful to not wake Momo who now uses it to sleep. ‘Well, at least one of us seems to like the new bag.’</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It has gotten dark outside by the time the group reaches the stadium, not that it makes a big difference in the underground structure. But the lack of sun does make Sokka more tired than he would like to.</p>
<p>But the energy returns to him relatively fast as the steps into the amazing atmosphere in these halls.</p>
<p>A cheer goes through the audience as an announcer appears on the stage in a storm of boulders, and Sokka can barely hold back his excitement as he sits down. But he wonders why no one is sitting in the front lines of the stadium.</p>
<p>His question is answered pretty much instantly as a boulder crashes into the audience right beside him.</p>
<p>He lets out a small shriek as he flinches to the side as Katara lets out a small laugh at his reaction. He gives her a glare, but it only causes her to laugh even more.</p>
<p>He wouldn't have been so surprised if he was properly awake. ‘I really have to find a way to stay awake better after the sun sets. There has to be a good way, or the guards of the FIre Nation fortresses would be near useless.’</p>
<p>The firebender returns his attention to the stage as a man appears in the cloud of dust.</p>
<p>“Welcome to Earth Rumble 6! I am your host, Xin Fu!” The earthbender introduces himself.</p>
<p>Sokka hears his sister sigh as she looks to the side. “This is just gonna be a bunch of guys throwing rocks at each other, isn't it” She complains..</p>
<p>“That's what I paid for.” Sokka tells her with a grin on his face. “And you don't get to complain. It was your idea after all. Plus complaining is my job.” but Katara just lets out another sigh.</p>
<p>Xin Fu explains the rules (if you can even call them that) as the two combatants step onto the stage. “Round one! The Bolder vs The Big Bad Hippo!”  And Sokka instantly knows who he is gonna cheer for.</p>
<p>‘Man, I wish I had muscles like that. … Maybe I can try muscle training again now that I’m out of the cold areas? It's definitely worth a try.’</p>
<p>With a broad grin on his face Sokka watches as the Bolder lifts the Hippo into the air, throwing him out of the ring with his bending as the announcer declares him the winner.</p>
<p>But Sokka’s face falls a bit as the heel enters the arena. </p>
<p>“And the next match is The Bolder versus Fire Nation Man!” Xin Fu announces as a man dressed in a red outfit steps into the arena, swinging a Fire Nation flag as the booing of the audience halls through the arena.</p>
<p>He is pretty obviously not really from the Fire Nation, if his look and dialect is anything to go by, and he doesn't feel like a firebender either. But at least the hairstyle is on point.</p>
<p>‘Of course they would think of firebenders like that. They have every reason to. But having to hide my bending is really getting hard. How am I supposed to protect the others if I can't fight properly?’</p>
<p>Sokka watches as the man throws a burst of sand at The Bolder, it's form seeming to imitate that of real firebending, but it is stopped by his opponent without much effort, before the fake firebender is thrown out of the arena, accompanied by the cheering of the audience.</p>
<p>‘I wish I could use my bending in front of people without most of them instantly assuming I’m their enemy. There has to be a way. … Could I try to pass it off as some different kind of bending? Or something else entirely?’</p>
<p>He lets his mind drift, his thoughts straying away so far from the battles in front of him that he doesn't even notice the shouting audience, or the fake firebender sneaking away from the place he crashed into the spectator seats, leaving behind a spot where the rock was turned to sand to stop his impact.</p>
<p>‘That time with Haru we managed to convince the Fire Nation Soldiers that Katara was an earthbender. And that was before Aang could actually bend it, and using his airbending for it worked out fine.’</p>
<p>‘But something like that would be really weak, so that should be the last choice. What else could I try?’</p>
<p>An image of Iroh flashes in his mind. The time he has seen the man bend lighting feels like it has been ages ago, but it's still crystal clear in his mind. ‘But that would still be pretty obviously firebending. Enough people should know that. ...Or would they? I haven't heard anyone talking about it. ’</p>
<p>He lets out a sigh ‘But most importantly, I have no idea how to bend lightning. And that REALLY doesn't seem like something I should just test around. I burned myself often enough when I first tried to bend simple fire.’</p>
<p>But there is one more unusual bending technique he knows. That one man in the swamp that used the vines ‘Well, not that it's going to help me. That was waterbending. And it's not like fire is just in something… Or would I be able to do that? Moving something that is on fire? I don't think I ever tried that out.’</p>
<p>He turns his attention back to the stage, just in time to see the bolder knock out his opponent.</p>
<p>“And now for the moment you have all been waiting for!” The announcer starts, “The Bolder versus your champion! The Blind Bandit!”</p>
<p>Sokka blinks in confusion as he spots the small girl now standing on the stage. He scans his eyes over the stage if he has missed anyone else . ‘Nope. They have to be talking about her.’</p>
<p>Technically Sokka knows that looks can be deceiving. He is traveling with Aang after all. But she looks even younger than the airbender, and even if it's really hard to see from this distance, she actually does look blind, or at least acts like it.</p>
<p>The audience doesn't seem to be bothered by her presence at all, quite the opposite if the even louder cheering is anything to go by.</p>
<p>He has to suppress a chuckle as the girl returns The Bolder’s taunt without missing a beat, letting out a hearty laugh.</p>
<p>The firebender knows he wants The Bolder to win ‘I mean look at those muscles!’, but by now he mostly really wants to see the girl fight. If she is deserving of the title champion, she has to be one of the most talented benders in the world.</p>
<p>‘Wait.’ An idea rushes into his head as soon as the thought flies through his head, and he snaps his head to Aang. The boy’s expression is telling the firebender enough, so he stays silent for now.</p>
<p>After all, the airbender should decide his teachers himself.</p>
<p>The battle starts as soon as he returns his attention to the battlefield, but it is over in  seconds.</p>
<p>Without even a moment of hesitation the girl disrupts her opponents stance -Sokka is cringing at the image- and throws him out of the arena with a single strike, all movements calculated and executed perfectly.</p>
<p>The announcer raises his voice as the cheering hallt through the structure. “Your winner, and still the champion, The Blind Bandit!” </p>
<p>Sokka is so focused on the arena  that he doesn't even notice his two companions' conversation.</p>
<p>‘That was so cool! I thought that earthbending had to be slow and rough, but her’s is nothing like that!’</p>
<p>His amazement is interrupted when the announcer jumps down onto the stage. “To make things a little more interesting, I’m offering up this sack of gold pieces to whoever can defeat The Blind Bandit!” The man shouts into the ranks.</p>
<p>Sokka is just about to jump up when he remembers his restrictions, depressed dropping his shoulders as he drops his eyes to the ground.</p>
<p>He knows he could also train with Aang and Katara -he does every day- but he has problems with the thought of throwing flames at his sister and the boy he swore to protect. He would never forgive himself if he ever hurt them.</p>
<p>Not that he would ever tell them that.</p>
<p>He returns his attention back to the stage as the man calls to the silent audience again. “What? No one dares to challenge the champion?” He asks, and Sokka is pretty sure he doesn't expect an answer.</p>
<p>But the man didn't count on Aang, the boy enthusiastically jumping up the last of the stairs to get the announcer's attention. </p>
<p>“I will!” He says as he steps into the ring. Sokka didn't even notice him leave. </p>
<p>‘I didn't think he was the fighting type. Even in training he doesn't like it if it gets rough.’</p>
<p>The firebender questioningly turns to his sister, but his question is answered before she can react. </p>
<p>“I just want to talk to you!” And tells his combatant , the words barely understandable over the cheers of the people even from this distance.</p>
<p>His opponent doesn't seem to share his desire for peace though, and stomps onto the earth, making a bolder erupt from under the airbender.</p>
<p>But even if that attack would have been strong enough to throw any earthbender out of balance, it doesn't have much of an effect on the boy’s agile stance. </p>
<p>Aang lands softly behind the girl, and it takes her a small moment to locate the boy.</p>
<p>‘So she really fights against people by sound alone! That's incredible!’</p>
<p>Unfortunately for Sokka’s further interest in the fight, the earthbender seems to be at a natural disadvantage against Aang, his winds avoiding her senses before she can react.</p>
<p>She gets thrown out of the arena with one more heavy gust. Sokka looks down to where she landed, and sees as the confusion in her face gives way to frustration. </p>
<p>Aang runs after her, but just opens a gate in the solid stone wall, slamming it shut before the airbender can get out a word.</p>
<p>The boy walks back on stage with a depressed look on his face, taking the prize money and champion belt with a detached expression.</p>
<p>‘Well, looks like it is time for my amazing tracking abilities.’</p>
<p>____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka would like to say his ability to find tracks is pretty good, having to handle the continuous snowfall at home and all, but when your taket can just tunnel under ground even he is at a loss.</p>
<p>“Maybe we can go back to the earthbending academy for now? They are bound to know about an earthbender as strong as the Blind Bandit.” Katara suggests after a while.</p>
<p>With no better ideas the two boys agree, and soon they find themselves walking through said building’s gate and coming face to face with two familiar faces.</p>
<p>“These two again…” Sokka grumbels, but at least with these two they can be sure they know about Earth Ruble 6.</p>
<p>One of the earthbenders notices the trio as they approach, flinching as soon as he spots Katara and running to hide behind his friend. </p>
<p>To tell the truth, despite everything, Sokka feels kind of bad for the boy. He gives him a comforting look. ‘I feel you, man. She can be terrifying.’</p>
<p>On the other hand, the fear she induces in others turns out extremely useful for getting the information out of them. Not that he is that happy to hear that no one knows anything about her.</p>
<p>But to his surprise, Aang has another idea. “Then how about some place that has a winged boar as a symbol?” He asks, seemingly out of topic.</p>
<p>Sokka gives the airbender a questioning glance.</p>
<p>“I saw a vision of her when we were in the swamp. And she had a flying boar as a pet.” Aang explains, getting a shrug out of the firebender. Who is he to question the weird avatar stuff?</p>
<p>“Well, a flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family. They are the richest people in town. Their palace is right at the north part of the city. Not that they will let you in anyway.”</p>
<p>“And they don't have a daughter!” The other says, only sticking out his head from behind his friend for a moment to answer.</p>
<p>“Well, it's a good enough start for me!” Aang simply tells them, walking back to the street, “Lets go!” He calls to his companions.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you better leave…” One of the earthbenders mumbles, receiving a glare from Katara.</p>
<p>“Hey! I’ve got my eyes on you!” She tells them, and Sokka swears he sees them flinch even from this distance.</p>
<p>Sokka gives them one last cocky grin as he walks out of the courtyard. “Water tribe.” He whispers-shouts after them as he catches up with his sister.</p>
<p>“What did you even do to these two?!” He asks, but only gets that one grin in return that he knows far too well.</p>
<p>‘Women are terrifying.’ The firebender decides.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The way to the Bei Fong families’s palace doesn't take long, the earthbending academy already being close to it.</p>
<p>They sneak around the back, trying to avoid getting found as Aang jumps up high into the air to keep his eyes open for the mysterious girl. It doesn't take long till he spots her in one of the gardens.</p>
<p>Aang jumps over the wall, the siblings climbing after him. They hide in one of the hedges as a guard walks by, but as soon as they try to start moving again the ground under them erupts, throwing the three up high into the air.</p>
<p>As Sokka starts to plummet to the hard, he gets an idea, more because of panic than anything else. </p>
<p>He extends his arm to the ground, and releases a blast of heat from his hands, but tries to hold back his flames.</p>
<p>As he pumps more energy into his arms he feels himself slow down, but he feels how the flames desperately try to break out from his skin.</p>
<p>When he reached the ground the firebender slowed down enough to turn the crash into a roll, redirecting his movement to the side to successfully avoid most of the impact.</p>
<p>He stands up with a broad grin on his face, despite the really uncomfortable feeling in his arms where he had to suppress the flames.</p>
<p>‘I did it! Just heat and no flames!’ He tries to punch is fist into the sky to celebrate his triumph when he feels a piercing pain go through his arm. ‘But I will have to work on that. Regular firebending is definitely still the better choice if I have it.’</p>
<p>He looks up to come face to face with the girl they were looking for.</p>
<p>“Uhm, hello?” He tries, getting a deadpan look from her.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?” She asks. She looks totally different right now, her hair and dress completely clean and orderly.</p>
<p>“How did you know it was me?” Aang asks as he fights himself out of the shrub she threw him in, leaves and branches still sticking to all his cloth, unbothered by her hostile voice.</p>
<p>But for Sokka there is something much more important right now. “Don't answer to Twinkle Toes. Its not manly!” </p>
<p>But every person present just ignores his comment. ‘Rude.’</p>
<p>“How did you find me?” The earthbender asks Aang, her foot scraping the ground as she goes into something that might be a subtle fighting stance.</p>
<p>Sokka backs away a bit, but his other two companions don't seem to notice. </p>
<p>“Well, a crazy king told me I had to find an earthbender who listens to the earth. And then I had a vision-” Aang starts to explain, but it visibly only bothers the girl, so Katara jumps into help.</p>
<p>“What Aang is trying to explain is, he is the avatar, and he has to master earthbending as soon as possible to fight against the Fire Lord.”</p>
<p>But the rich girl seems to be unbothered by this, holding out her hand in front of Katara’s face without even sparing her a glance. … Okay Sokka gets why she doesn't.</p>
<p>“Not my problem. Now get out of here, or I’ll call the guards.” She simply tells them as she starts walking away.</p>
<p>But Sokka steps into her path. “You know, it might not be your problem right now, but it will be really soon. The next time Sozin's comet appears, which is in under a year, the Fire Nation will make a great scale attack on the entire Earth Kingdom while they are supported by the comet’s power, an-”</p>
<p>“Guards!” The girl suddenly shouts, seemingly uninterested in his attempted persuasion. “Guards, help!”</p>
<p>The three fall into a slight panic as they run away, Sokka jumping over the wall just in time so the guards don't spot him. </p>
<p>The group holds their breath as they listen for the people to leave until they have a chance to walk away, and as soon as they see a chance, they flee into the forest.</p>
<p>“Well, that didn't go as planned.” Sokka says as he drops to the ground.</p>
<p>“No kidding.” Katara agrees, looking even more tired than her brother. “Aang, are you really sure you want her as a teacher? She doesn't really seem to care for the world.”</p>
<p>Aang stays silent for a while, but then looks up with a determined look on his face. “No. I know this might sound weird, but I think there is more to this then Toph told us.” the airbender tells them, remembering the name the guards used. “But we have to talk to her again, somehow.”</p>
<p>“Well, if it's just that, I have an idea. Just leave this to me.” Sokka tells the others as he casually walks to the front entrance of the mansion.</p>
<p>___________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even if it was his plan, he is kind of surprised how well it went. </p>
<p>They just told the guards that Aang is the avatar, letting the kid show off his air and water bending, and the servant pretty much sprinted to notify the Bei Fong’s.</p>
<p>And he has to say, the food here is amazing! Not that that makes up for the terribly tense atmosphere between Aang and Toph, a constant glare emitted from the girl in question.</p>
<p>Sokka can't even say how relieved he is once they are led to their room to rest for the night. </p>
<p>But to his surprise, Toph follows. </p>
<p>“Look, I’m sorry about dinner.” She tells them, even if she doesn't look the part. “Let's call a truth okay?” She suggests, and walks off into the garden, Aang following behind her</p>
<p>The watertribe boy stands up to follow them, but the avatar just shakes his head, causing the firebender to sit down again. ‘Looks like he wants to do this alone.’</p>
<p>Sokka tries to meditate as he waits for his friend’s return, his mind drifting back to when he used his firebending to soften his fall without actually releasing his flames.</p>
<p>He flexes his arm as he remembers how it stung when he held back the flames. ‘But that could just have been because I made a sudden move without any training in it. The same as normal muscle training.” He tells himself hopefully.</p>
<p>He extends his hand outwards and lets his inner flame grow, he lets the heat flow into his palm, far more slowly than last time, and lets it rest right under his skin.</p>
<p>As his flames swirl in his arms, gathering more and more in his palm, the uncomfortable pain returns as the fire inside desperately tries to break out.</p>
<p>But Sokka doesn't let it, focusing all of his control to keep it in check. And very slowly, he feels how the pain subsides, but the heat remains.</p>
<p>He opens his eyes to look at his raised palm. It would look completely normal if it wasn't for the heavy refractions in the air around it, flowing up to the ceiling of the room before the air loses the heat and the distortions faded into nothingness.</p>
<p>A smile spreads over his face as he repeats the action, but this time faster. </p>
<p>‘It works! With this I can finally help the others for real even if we are in  bad circumstances!’</p>
<p>The firebender looks around the room, to look for Aang. He can sometimes space out quite a bit when he meditates, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the airbender came in again without him noticing, but that doesn't seem to be the case.</p>
<p>“Uhm, Katara?” the teen asks. “Shouldn't Aang be back by now?”</p>
<p>The girl looks up from her training, seemingly as focused on her bending like her brother. She turns her head to the nearly burned out candles as worry starts to spread over her face.</p>
<p>“Let's look for them.” She says urgently, immediately hurrying out of the room.</p>
<p>Soon they find the reason for the airbender's absence, the signs of battle in the countjard obvious. Two of the guards find them as Sokka inspects the ground for clues.</p>
<p>“There has been an attack on someone. Please notify the others.” He tells the guards, watching as shock flows into their faces. </p>
<p>‘This is going to be another long night.’</p>
<p>___________________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The walk to the arena is tense, even if Toph’s overly emotional mother luckily didn't come. </p>
<p>‘As if they would actually do anything to Toph. They know who her parents are. Hurting her would be a death sentence.’</p>
<p>The arena is well lit despite the time, and they immediately come face to face with the fighters of Earth Rumble 6, all the erathbender’s eyes focusing on the new arrivals.</p>
<p>“Here is your money. Now let them go.” Sokka says, dropping the purse to the ground so the earthbending teacher he has forgotten the name of can slide them to the fighters.</p>
<p>The guy who announced the battles picks it up and gestures to let Toph down.</p>
<p>One of the metal prisons lowers itself to the ground with loud squeaking, the hatch at the bottom opening up to release the girl as soon as it is close to the floor.</p>
<p>But there is one big problem. “What about Aang?” Sokka calls to them, his eyes focused on the avatar still suspended in the air.</p>
<p>“I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for him.” The enemy earthbender tells them, revealing a wanted poster of the airbender. “And now get out of my arena!” He shouts, more fighter appearing on all sides of the ring</p>
<p>‘Six fighters. All experienced earthbender. Even if the power they showed during the battles today was all they could do they are still strong. Too strong.’</p>
<p>“What do you think is going to happen if you hand over the Avatar to the Fire Nation?” Sokka tries. “That will tip the war even more in their favor! Is that money worth your lives?” He continues, but his words seem to meet deaf ears.</p>
<p>‘Shit! This region is too far out from the current battles. They probably never have actually seen anyone from the Fire Nation.’</p>
<p>Katara has an equally hopeless expression, but she has one more idea. “Toph, there are too many of them. We need an earthbender. We need you!”</p>
<p>But her father turns around with an enraged expression. “My daughter is blind. And tiny and helpless and fragile. She cannot help you.”</p>
<p>Sokka is just about raising his voice to support his sister when Toph speaks up.</p>
<p>“Yes. I can.” Her voice is strong and determined as she turns around, walking into the arena with confident steps.</p>
<p>With one single stomp she lets a wall rise at the other exit, blocking the fighters in.</p>
<p>“Let him go.” She tells them, pointing at the imprisoned Aang. “I’ve beat you all before and I will do it again.”</p>
<p>“The Bolder takes issue with that comment.” The Bolder announces, going into a fighting stance, the others following after him, loudly throwing Aang’s cage to the side.</p>
<p>Sokka and Katara are about to join Toph on both sides, but stop when she holds her hands out in front of them. “Wait. They are mine.” She announced.</p>
<p>As the enemies run at them, Toph raises her hands in front of her body. Sokka can feel the pressure built in the area, the stone structure beginning to tremble. </p>
<p>She releases all the built up force in one attack, stomping on the ground and creating a wave of rocks and dust, covering the entire arena, throwing the opponents away while creating a smokescreen.</p>
<p>She steps into the cloud without any hesitation, disappearing in the dust. Sokka almost starts to worry, but it doesn't take long till he hears the shout of the first fighter, followed by said man flying out of the ring and painfully landing in the ranks.</p>
<p>And it doesn't stay silent for long, one after another the men are thrown out of the cloud of dust, and when it clears only three are left, and they too are taken care of easily.</p>
<p>Sokka can't help but watch with stars in his eyes, barely keeping his eyes on the lock of the cage Aang is stuck in. “You were right Aang. We have to get her in our group.” He tells the airbender, breaking him out with one last hit.</p>
<p>Now the announcer is the only one left, even if Sokka isn't exactly sure why the man doesn't fight in the arena himself, considering his abilities.</p>
<p>The opponent starts with a volley of different rock projectiles, rushing towards Toph at an incredible speed, but with ease she throws up a wall easily withstanding the attack, then firing it after the assault ends.</p>
<p>The man dodges, releasing another attack, but he leaves himself suspended in the air, away from all of the earth.</p>
<p>Toph doesn't hesitate to use that moment of vulnerability, knocking him out with one more hit.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a cheer as the man flies out of the arena. ‘This was better than all of the official Earth Rumble 6 battles! And this one was even free!’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's only later that the firebender remembers that this wasn't actually the main problem.</p>
<p>He and his two companions are sitting awkwardly behind Toph as she tries to convince her father to let her teach Aang. But without seemingly even considering it, the man ignores her wishes and reasoning.</p>
<p>It actually sounds like he wants to be even more restrictive to her.</p>
<p>Sokka can feel his anger fuel his flames as he listens to the man's words, trying to stop his flames from showing.</p>
<p>‘What is wrong with this guy?! He was there when she showed what she can do! What is he even thinking?!’</p>
<p>It doesn't take long after the conversation till the trio is forced out of the building, not even given a chance to say goodbye.</p>
<p>The group walks back to Appa with a sad expression on their faces. The bison lets out an almost comforting roar at their presence, seemingly picking up on the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Katara comforts Aang in a gentle voice, but it doesn't help. </p>
<p>‘Of course it doesn't! He knows where we are just leaving her behind in.’</p>
<p>They are just about to climb on Appa when Sokka hesitates.</p>
<p>“We have to bust her out.” He says in a serious voice, far rougher than usually, some sparks escaping his mouth.</p>
<p>He can barely hold back his fire as an image of Toph’s father flashes in his head, the man ignoring the desperate wishes of his own daughter. </p>
<p>‘What does that guy even think he is?! Toph can decide things on her own!’</p>
<p>Katara looks like she is about to say something when they hear a shout from the distance.</p>
<p>“Wait!” A voice comes out of the dark woods. The team turns around to spot Toph running to them, a bag hanging over her shoulders. “My dad changed his mind.” She tells them, and Sokka lets out a relieved breath.</p>
<p>‘Well, that turned out better than expected. I almost can't believe her with how her father acted.’</p>
<p>While he would have broker her out, they already have enough enemies, and he doesn't want to add to the list.</p>
<p>“That's amazing!” Aang tells her with a grin on his face, urging Appa to lower his tail so she can climb on.</p>
<p>“Well. We better get out of here before he changes his mind then!” Sokka tells her with a smile, not noticing the small flinch she does upon hearing the words.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I’m maybe giving Sokka something that he can use even when he can't show his firebending, and trying to test around with what he has just really seems like something Sokka would do? That's at least how I feel about him.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. The Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the group tries to get used to their newest addition, a familiar face appears, not giving them time to sort out their problems.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka feels his back crack when he slides down from Appa. He got in a few hours of sleep on the bison's back while they flew, but the night was short, trying to save Aang and Toph and all.</p>
<p>And sleeping so high in the air surrounded by cold winds was never easy for Sokka, no matter with how many blankets he covers himself.</p>
<p>He walks around the edge of the forest, picking up sticks for a campfire and keeping his eyes open for something they might be able to eat.</p>
<p>He doesn't find any animals he could hunt (not that this bad luck surprises him) but he manages to pick up some berries in addition to the firewood.</p>
<p>By the time he has finished building the campfire (making sure that none of Appa’s fur is too close, because that is bound to be bad) before helping Aang get down the saddle from Appa’s back.</p>
<p>The airbender blows a strong gust under it, lifting it into the air to move it to Sokka, but throwing is probably a better description.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy manages to catch it, but is pretty much buried under the wooden structure. </p>
<p>“Stupid airbenders using solid wood for the saddles.” Sokka grumbles to himself as he crawls out from underneath the object. “A normal leather one would be so much easier to handle, but no, they can't even do that.”</p>
<p>Aang helps him get out with another gust of wind, lifting the wooden structure into the air long enough to let the firebender slip away.</p>
<p>Sokka gives the kid a thankful nod, but side-eyes him as he turns away. ‘Poor kid doesn't know what delicacies he is missing because of some old culture. I mean, who doesn't like meat?!’ </p>
<p>He shakes his head with a sad expression, getting a confused look from the boy.</p>
<p>The airbender looks like he is about to ask something when he spots Katara angrily stomp in their direction.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong?” Aang asks the waterbender, but she just ignores him and sits down next to the fire, tasting the soup Sokka has started, adding a bit more salt with a frown on her face.</p>
<p>Aang tries to approach her but Sokka holds an arm out in front of the boy. It's best to just leave Katara to her own when she is like that. He learned that from experience. She will burn herself out sooner or later.</p>
<p>But he does wonder what caused this.</p>
<p>He is pretty sure he didn't do anything yet that would have caused this, today at least, and he can't imagine Aang being the cause of this. So that only leaves Toph.</p>
<p>But by now he is really curious what happened, and since asking Katara is out of the question that only leaves the newest addition of their group. </p>
<p>He turns around to the girls tent (Can you still call it that if it's made out of stone?) When his sister's angry voice stops him. “Let her be. She wants it like this.”</p>
<p>Sokka isn't sure what exactly she means with ‘this’ but sits down anyway. ‘I will just have to wait for when Katara is out of hearing range when we pack camp tomorrow.’ </p>
<p>The dinner is  mostly silent, both of the boys trying not to tip Katara off, and soon the firebender lets himself drift off to sleep.</p>
<p>But he doesn't have time to rest long, woken up from Toph’s loud voice. “There is something coming towards us!” She shouts, running out of her stone tent.</p>
<p>The firebender jumps out of his sleeping bag, even if he is more delirious than anything else.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Aang asks her with far too much energy for the current hour, sticking his head out from behind Appa, the fur the animal is shedding sticking to all of his body.</p>
<p>“It feels like an avalanche, but also not an avalanche.” She tries to explain, and Sokka is about to comment on it, but he felt the same with explaining his travel to the spirit world, so he should really shut his mouth.</p>
<p>He helps Aang get the saddle back onto Appa while Katara collects all their stuff, throwing it onto the animal with some water tendrils.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till they rise in the air, and slowly the object Toph sensed comes into view over the top of the trees.</p>
<p>“I think now I get what you mean.” Sokka tells the earthbender as he tries to get a better look at the object rushing towards them at an incredible speed.</p>
<p>“What is that?” Katara asks with worry in her voice as Sokka begins to rummage around in his bag, finally pulling out the telescope he ... borrowed during the battle in the north.</p>
<p>Even with the tool it is had to see in this darkness, but the mechanical design, metallic look and not to forget the giant fucking spikes covering the entire thing can only mean one thing. “Fire Nation.”</p>
<p>“Then let's get out of here while we can.” Katara tells them. </p>
<p>Luckily Appa seems to be faster than whatever the thing that follows them is called.</p>
<p>Sokka would really like to know more about it, but it starts to leave his point of view anyway and sleep REALLY feels more important right now.</p>
<p>Not that he actually gets much time to rest, with the cold winds of the night and the constant shifting of Appa. But he will take every minute he gets.</p>
<p>‘Well. At least we managed to shake off the Fire Nation fast this time around.’</p>
<p>_____________</p>
<p>They, in fact, did not shake them off. At all.</p>
<p>It only took half an hour at most till Toph woke them up again. So they tried escaping again, only for it to happen again.</p>
<p>But by now they don't have any more patience to deal with this peacefully, no matter what Aang tries to say.</p>
<p>The metal thing (Tank? Train? Chariot?) comes to a halt right in front of the mountain they are staying at, a hatch on the side opening up to release a group of very familiar faces riding some kind of big lizards.</p>
<p>“Oh why did it have to be them!” Sokka complains, the Fire Nation princess' face visible even in the gentle moonlight.</p>
<p>‘What did I even expect? She is related to Zuko. How could she not be stubborn? … But what happened to Zuko? We haven't seen him in a while.’</p>
<p>Last time was at the north pole, and that has been quite a while back. ‘And Iroh did try to help protect the moon spirit. But what happened to the two after that? I should ask Katara what happened while I was out.’ </p>
<p>He turns to look at his sister, the frown and eye bags prominent. ‘But probably not right now.’</p>
<p>Sokka turns to the confused looking Toph standing beside him.</p>
<p>“The one in the middle is the princess of the Fire Nation.” The teen explains. “She started chasing us a short while ago.”</p>
<p>The enemies start their attack as he turns his attention back to them, rushing to the group at a surprising speed.</p>
<p>“Don't worry. We can take them. Three on three.” Toph says confidently despite her obvious tiredness.</p>
<p>‘Wait. Three?’</p>
<p>“Actually Toph, there are four of us.” Sokka tells her.</p>
<p>“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn't count you. No bending and all.” </p>
<p>Sokka gulps audibly. “Uhm. Well. That is not exactly-” He starts when he suddenly feels energy build up around the enemy princess.</p>
<p>He can see the movements from here, but they don't look like any firebending forms he has seen till now. Almost as if she was trying to bend something completely different- ‘Shit!’</p>
<p>“Toph! Wall!” He shouts, the panic clear, and thankfully the earthbender doesn't waste any time to question his word, stomping on the ground to let a wall of solid stone erupt from the ground.</p>
<p>Before the wall even comes to a halt, a loud thundering goes through the area and the wall in front of them explodes, sending shards in their direction, but holding off most of the attack.</p>
<p>“Lightning bending. Of course she would know that. As if she wasn't enough of a problem already.” Sokka grumbles as he jumps up again.</p>
<p>Beside him Toph does too, creating an avalanche of rocks rushing to the enemies at a high speed. But by now Azula has another blast charged up, blowing up the earthebnder’s attack before it can even get close.</p>
<p>But Sokka uses that short moment where she has to build up the lighting again. He lets his inner flame flare, letting his energy flow into his palm, releasing it in a concentrated fireball, rushing through the dust thrown up by the destroyed rocks. </p>
<p>It is weakened by the missing sun, but his frustration makes up for that easily, the waves of flames rushing over the debris, throwing  the enemy riders off their mounts.</p>
<p>“Let's get out of here! We can’t take them on like this if they have support!” Sokka shouts, gesturing to the metal vehicle behind the enemy.</p>
<p>The others seem to agree, running to Appa as Toph creates one last wall, blocking a bunch of knives thrown at them by Mai.</p>
<p>“Yip yip!” Aang hastily shouts as the kids jump onto the bison, flying high into the sky, out of the enemies reach.</p>
<p>Sokka lets himself fall against the edge of the saddle. Using his bending at night really uses up his energy, especially after so little sleep the last night around.</p>
<p>“So you are a firebender.” Toph suddenly says, dragging him out of his thought, only now making him remember that he just bent fire right in front of her eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” He starts, his eyes locked on the ground. “I'm sorry for not telling you. I know you might hate me because of it but please don't let that influence how you act around the others.” </p>
<p>“What, are you kidding me?” Toph says, making the water tribe boy flinch. “This is perfect!”</p>
<p>“Huh?” The water tribe boy looks up with a confused look on his face.</p>
<p>“Now I have someone I can train how to beat up firebenders best! This is going to be so much fun!” she says, a menacing grin on her face.</p>
<p>“You- You aren't angry?” Sokka asks, a shred of hope igniting in his body.</p>
<p>“Why would I be? Have you burned down villages or something?”</p>
<p>“Of course not! I would never-”</p>
<p>“Then there is no problem, right?” She interrupts him, her voice casual as if this was the most normal thing in the world.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his shoulders relax, a smile on his face as he furiously rubs away the tears that threatened to break out of his eyes. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Manly tears, if he might add.</p>
<p>But sadly the good moment is broken when he sees the sun rise over the horizon, and the firebender can't remember ever being that displeased to see the sunrise.</p>
<p>“They followed us the entire night. And now that the sun is here Azula’s fire will be even stronger.” He says with a sigh.</p>
<p>“How did she even follow us?!” Katara shouts in frustration, Toph flinching beside her from the shrill sound.</p>
<p>“Listen here Sugar Queen. It's pretty easy if you would think about it.” She tells the waterbender, reaching over the saddle to grab a bit of Appa’s fur.</p>
<p>“He has been losing this the whole time, leaving a perfect trail for them to follow.” she explains.</p>
<p>“What, now you are saying this is Appa’s fault?!” Katata asks angrily, stumbling a bit as the bison lands in some kind of clearing, too tired to fly any further, landing on the ground far less graceful than he usually does.</p>
<p>“Of course I’m not! What is wrong with you?” Toph starts, going into a hostile stance. But Sokka holds out his hands between the two.</p>
<p>“We are all tired right now. Let's try to get some sleep and discuss after that.” He tells them, pulling down his sleeping bag prom Appa’s saddle.</p>
<p>“We could have gotten some sleep on our last stop if Toph had helped us earlier.” Katara shoots back as soon as her brother turns away.</p>
<p>“WHAT!?” Toph (rightfully) shouts, all the hostility returning to her posture. At times like this Sokka really wishes his sister had less of a temper.</p>
<p>“I’m just saying,” Katara continues without any kind of situational awareness. “that if you had helped us earlier, we would have set up camp much faster and gotten a bit of sleep in. And then maybe we wouldn't have been in this situation!” She tells the earthbender, crossing her arms.</p>
<p>That is the moment that Aang tries to intervene. “Let's just try to calm down, right?” But the girls just push him inside.</p>
<p>“I never asked you for anything! I carry my own weight! And this situation isn't my fault! If it wasn't for him leaving a trail, we would have none of these problems!” She shouts pointing at Appa’s fur.</p>
<p>“So you ARE blazing Appa!” Aang accuses jumping down beside the earthbender. “He saved your life three times today! And he never had a problem flying when it was just the three of us!” The boy finishes with a shout.</p>
<p>Suddenly Sokka can see all the fighting spirit drain out of the earthbender's face. </p>
<p>“I’m out of here.” She simply says, picking up her bag and walking away. </p>
<p>“Wait.” Sokka tries in an attempt to stop this situation from escalating even more.</p>
<p>But Toph just gives him an angry look and shoves him aside, not even giving him a second glance (ha). </p>
<p>Sokka lets himself drop to the ground after that, deciding to get in some minutes of sleep till the inevitable breakdown. And it happens even faster than he expected.</p>
<p>“What did I just do?!” Aang shouts to no one in particular. “I can't believe I just yelled at my earthbending teacher. And now she is gone.” </p>
<p>“Your only earthing teacher and probably the most talented one too.” Sokka adds from the side. He has to let out his frustration about his companions lack of self control somehow.</p>
<p>‘And I’m the firebender! I should be the one who has problems controlling my emotions!’ He thinks to himself. </p>
<p>“I know.” Katara says, throwing Sokka an angry look. ”We were all just trying to get used to each other, and I was so mean to her.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks.” Sokka says from the side, getting another glare from his sister. “What? This time I did absolutely nothing wrong and you know that.” He tells her, even if he is still surprised how well Toph reacted to him being a firebender.</p>
<p>She doesn't answer him, turning her attention to Aang. “We need to find Toph and apologize. But first we must do something about the three following us.”</p>
<p>Sokka just lets out a sigh. ‘I hope this time a bit of that change in attitude will stick.’ But he doesn't have much hope.</p>
<p>____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A bit of time and a thorough wash of Appa later the group is ready to go. Aang has Sokka’s earth Kingdom bag filled with the bison’s fur strapped around his shoulders, his glider already in hand.</p>
<p>“I still think this is a bad idea.” Sokka tells the avatar, only getting a determined look from him.</p>
<p>“It’s the best way. I lead them away so Appa can get a bit of rest and while I lead them away with a fake trail, and then we will meet up later.”</p>
<p>“Good luck.” Katara tells him as the siblings climb onto the bison's back, rising over the trees as they watch Aang disappear in the distance.</p>
<p>As they slowly drift through the sky, Sokka keeps his eyes open for Toph. “She can't have made it that far.” He says as he lets his eyes drift over the forest, but he isn't sure he believes his own words. </p>
<p>Breaking others expectations seems to be a hobby for the earthbender after all.</p>
<p>Suddenly an aggressive cry of Momo gets his attention.</p>
<p>“What is it Momo?” He asks, but immediately finds the reason as he spots the two girls following them. “Oh no. Katara! We are about to get company!” He calls to his sister as he readies a flame in his hand.</p>
<p>He releases a volley of fire punches, the flames raining down at the enemies below him. The power is far lower than usual, probably no problem to block even for a novice firebender, but none of his opponents are benders, being forced to weave around the flames anyway.</p>
<p>There is only one slight problem. “Katara! Appa is losing altitude!”</p>
<p>“I know, but he is too tired! He won't make it much longer!”</p>
<p>The firebender looks around frantically. “We just need to get across that river! That should be able to get them off our backs.” He finishes, but Appa is still continuing to fall at an alarming speed.</p>
<p>“Katara! Try lifting him with the water of the river!” Sokka tells his sister as he continues to throw fireballs at the Fire Nation girls following them.</p>
<p>Katara gives him a determined nod, standing up from the bison’s head and placing herself in the middle of the saddle.</p>
<p>She extended both her arms to her side before slowly raising to the sky, causing a wave to rise from the river. As it gets close to the bison the tip freezes over, giving the animal a small platform to push itself into the air.</p>
<p>The small boost gives him just enough height to reach to the other shore, crashing to the ground in exhaustion.</p>
<p>The impact throws the siblings off the animal, but Sokka lets out a relieved sigh anyway, drawing in air to let out a victory cry.</p>
<p>The words die before even being able to leave his mouth as he spots the lizards simply running over the water. “Oh come on! What did I do to deserve this?” He shouts to no one in particular.</p>
<p>He stands side by side with his sister, a flame ignited in his palm while Katara pulls a huge sphere of water out of the river, building up their attacks.</p>
<p>The waterbender pulls back her hands in a gesture very familiar to her brother who follows after the movement, his flames just waiting to be released.</p>
<p>“Now!” She shouts, and Sokka doesn't wait a second to follow the command, releasing the fire as a wave over the river.</p>
<p>The two girls jump up high in the air to avoid the attack, but that makes them a perfect target for Katara. She forms the collected water into a storm of frozen shards, shooting at the Fire Nation girls at an incredible speed.</p>
<p>The enemies try to block the attack, and while Mai manages to block most of them with her knives, Tai Lee does not fare as well.</p>
<p>The acrobat girl lets out a whine as she is forced to defend with her bare hands, and even if she manages to punch most of the shards away, the damage is visible to Sokka.</p>
<p>But he doesn't have much time to think about it as Mai crashes in the tree beside him, not hesitating to throw her knives at him.</p>
<p>Sokka pushes them to the side with a wave of fire, letting the flames flow back around him to protect his body from his attackers as he charges up his next attack.</p>
<p>Mai tries to take cover behind a sturdy rock, but before she can reach its safety the firebender throws up a wall in her path, blocking her escape.</p>
<p>He lets the wall grow into a violent blaze, forcing his enemy away and into an open area.</p>
<p>Her expression turns even more annoyed as she throws another wave of knives at the water tribe boy. He dodges to the side ducking behind a tree while charging up his next flame.</p>
<p>The fire comes slower as his exhaustion begins to catch up to him, but he pushes through anyway, jumping out of his cover just in time to catch his opponents before she can get out of his reach.</p>
<p>But she seems to be more than familiar with the stance, dodging out of the way of the fireballs. </p>
<p>‘Then how about this.’ He takes in a deep breath, heating it up before releasing the blast of pure heat between the fire punches, the distortions in the air invisible between the other attacks.</p>
<p>Mai continues to expertly weave between the flames, already taking out a new knife when the invisible concentrated heat hits her, making her whole body recoil, pinching her eyes shut to protect herself.</p>
<p>That opening is enough for Sokka to blast out the flames he has saved up, punching forward with both hands to release an enormous ball of flames.</p>
<p>The blast rushes at her with heat pooling out of it, leaving her only just enough time to throw up her heavy sleeves to protect her body from the flames, but the impact is still strong enough to throw her into the trees behind her.</p>
<p>She falls to the ground as a breath is forced out by the collision. Sokka is reading another blast as she tries to stand up again, when suddenly something hits the back of his shoulder.</p>
<p>He feels his control of his arm slip as an uncomfortable sting erupt in it, the flame in his palm extinguishing.</p>
<p>He snaps his head around as he tries to create distance from his attacker, but Ty Lee is faster, disabling his other arm with a precise jab.</p>
<p>And wow, now he understands why Katara was so disturbed by the feeling. He is used to having his bending nearly nonexistent from missing energy, but this feels completely different.</p>
<p>But blocking only his arms isn't enough to stop him from bending.</p>
<p>He lets flames erupt from both of his legs, catapulting himself in the air while forcing Ty Lee back, but she reacts fast, far more experienced in a firebender's abilities from her time at the royal palace.</p>
<p>She jumps to a nearby tree, up to the branches to avoid the burning ground, and before Sokka can even react she leaps up to him while he is still in the air, up over his head where she is out of the reach of his legs.</p>
<p>But much like the fire sage, she didn't expect one thing.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his inner flames flare as he feels the fire rush up his throat, a glowing hot blast getting released from his mouth.</p>
<p>The firebender sees the shock in his opponent's eyes, but she manages to grab a nearby branch and only just manages to drag herself out of the attack line, a charred spot now taking up the left side of her clothing.</p>
<p>Sokka crashes into the ground as his fire breath knocked him back, landing beside his sister.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, she was too fast.” She says, lying motionless on the ground, his arms giving out slight, uncomfortable spasms that he starts to associate with the pink nonbender.</p>
<p>Sokka struggles to stand up, his arms still being completely motionless as he sees the enemies advance to him, their clothing having obvious burn marks but being mostly unhurt.</p>
<p>‘Are their outfits made to protect against fire? It would make sense considering who they are traveling with.’</p>
<p>He charges up another fire breath as they walk near when he suddenly spots something moving behind the two girls.</p>
<p>He holds back a smile as Appa slowly, and surprisingly quietly turns his tail to them. Mai is just about to take out another knife when the bison slams his tail to the ground, a strong squall throwing the non benders far into the river, as Ty Lee shrieks from the surprise.</p>
<p>“Thanks buddy.” Sokka tells Appa with a tired smile, the feeling slowly returning to his arms.</p>
<p>Katara seems to be doing the same as she tries to stand up on her shaking legs. “Their lizard things ran away. They won't be able to catch up now.” She tells her brother.</p>
<p>“Then let's go after Aang, the distraction obviously didn't work. Think you can carry us a bit more today?” Sokka asks Appa, the bison giving him a determined roar. </p>
<p>With a bit of trouble they climb into the saddle, Katara taking the reins since she had a bit longer to recover from Ty Lee’s attack. </p>
<p>‘What does she even do? I have never heard of something like that. And I have definitely never seen anyone else from the Fire Nation do it.’</p>
<p>Sokka is just about to come up with a good name for her fighting style (his names are very good, thank you very much Katara) when he sees smoke rise in the distance, accompanied by the flashes of flames.</p>
<p>Katara seems to have noticed it too, urging Appa to go as fast as he can manage.</p>
<p>The waterbender jumps to the ground as soon as they land, buildings burning all around them while Sokka takes a bit more time to get Appa into a hiding spot, running after his sister right after.</p>
<p>As he rushes to the town's main plaza Katara runs past him, and right after her Azula. Sokka immediately releases a wave of flames, but the princess manages to block with her own fire  anyway.</p>
<p>But the moment of distraction is enough so his two companions can get into position, beginning to corner her in.</p>
<p>The enemy attempts to slowly back away into the last possible out, continuing with her bending and trying not to turn her back to the three.</p>
<p>But with it being three on one, she is easily getting pushed back despite her enemies’ exhaustion.</p>
<p>As she tries to back off into an alley the ground under her suddenly shits, sending her falling to her knees.</p>
<p>A smile spreads over Sokka’s face as he recognizes the move. “Toph!”</p>
<p>“I thought you guys could use a little help.” She tells the three with a grin as she steps out from between the building, now cutting of Azula’s last path of escape.</p>
<p>Azula is understandably angry with her current situation, releasing flames all around her body as she tries to force the enemies away, the fire pooling around her body in a way that Sokka doubts is good for her, even with a firebender's natural resistance.</p>
<p>With a shout she creates a powerful blast, the blue flames cutting a path between Aang and Katara. The princess begins a sprint through the opening, but as just before she manages to escape the formation, two more join the battle.</p>
<p>“Zuko…” Sokka mumbles to himself as he spots the fire prince.</p>
<p>He looks different now, short but soft looking hair framing his face, bringing out his golden eyes even more, the hard and hostile looking Fire Nation armor replaced with a regular Earth Kingdom attire.</p>
<p>And the fact that he isn't pointing his hostility against Sokka right now is a big plus too.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy has to force his eyes away from the prince, returning his attention to the enemy in front of him.</p>
<p>‘Wait. Now isn't the time for … this.’ </p>
<p>Azula gives them a hostile and confident look, but Sokka is sure he can see her hide some irritation in there too.</p>
<p>“Well, look at this.” She lets her eyes stray over the enemies in front of her with a confident calm voice. “Enemies and traitors all working together.”</p>
<p>And for a moment Sokka thinks her eyes stay on him for a bit longer, but that was probably just his imagination.</p>
<p>But to the surprise of everyone, she raises her hands into the air in surrender, letting out a sigh. “I’m done. I know when I’m beaten. A princess surrenders with honor.” She tells them, throwing a pointed glance at Zuko.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to relax when he feels the heat flare from the princess's hand. </p>
<p>It all happens too fast.</p>
<p> Before a shout of warning can leave his mouth the flames are released from her fingers, rushing to Iroh at an unbelievable speed.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy tries to focus all of his control on the projectile, but the blue fire is still too violent to redirect, all of his attempts only managing to weaken the lightning fast flame.</p>
<p>Iroh lets out a cry of pain as he falls to the ground.</p>
<p>“NO!” Zuko shouts, his voice full of panic and pain, flames erupting from his body and rushing towards his sister.</p>
<p>The four others join in with their elements, flying towards Azula like a destructive wave. </p>
<p>Azula flares her inner flames, throwing up a torrent to protect herself from the combined attack, exploding as it collides with the other elements.</p>
<p>Sokka recoils from the shock, protecting his eyes from the shrapnel, but when he manages to look back up, the only thing remaining is the broken building, clouds of dense dark smoke floating around.</p>
<p>‘Shit! She got away!’</p>
<p>The water tribe boy is about to look around for any tracks when a pained noize from beside him catches his attention.</p>
<p>Beside him is Zuko, kneeling over his motionless uncle. Sokka doesn't even notice himself stepping closer to the prince till he turns around with a pained expression on his face.</p>
<p>“Get away from us!” He shouts at the kids slowly approaching the two ex Fire Nation, but Sokka can hear the panic hiding under the anger.</p>
<p>Slowly Katara approaches from the side, her voice gentle. “Zuko, I can help.” She tries, but her closeness only brings more fear into Zuko’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Leave!” He shouts, throwing up a wave of flames, but not actually low enough that it would hurt any of them.</p>
<p>The group looks at each other in worry, about to leave him alone when Sokka steps forward.</p>
<p>“Zuko. Look at me.” the water tribe boy says in a warm but decisive voice. He gazes into the panicked eyes of the other firebender, noticing how the other breathes at a speed definitely not healthy.</p>
<p>“We aren't going to hurt you or your uncle.”</p>
<p>The prince looks like he is about to say something when Sokka continues. “He tried to help protect the moon spirit in the north. Remember? That is enough of a reason for us to help him, right?” Sokka turns around to his companions who nod in agreement.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy lowers himself to the same height as Zuko in an attempt to look less threatening. “Katara can heal. We can make sure your uncle is okay.”</p>
<p>The older teen just sits in silence for a while, before giving a small and hesitant nod, his breathing still far too fast to be normal.</p>
<p>Sokka returns the nod. “Than you. Katara?” He turns to his sister as she slowly takes out a small amount of water, trying not to startle Zuko.</p>
<p>A gentle, blue light emits from her palms as she lowers it to the burn wound, but the effect seems to be instant as immediately Iroh’s expression relaxes slightly.</p>
<p>The group sits in silence as Katara does her work, Sokka’s eyes drifting to the prince sitting beside him with a haunted expression, but at least his breathing seems to have slowed down slightly.</p>
<p>After a while Katara lets out an exhausted breath. “This is about as much as I can do right now.” She tells the others, Zuko flinching slightly at the attention.</p>
<p>She gives the others a worried look, but continues. “He is stable and should wake up in a while.” She takes another look at them. “I think we should leave him to you.”</p>
<p>But Sokka can't bring himself to step from the prince's side.</p>
<p>He is about to move closer to him when a hand grabs his shoulder, forcing him to stand up and walk away.</p>
<p>“Kata-”</p>
<p>“No. We have done what we can, and that's that. He is still too dangerous.” She tells him, the grip on his shoulder not softening as they put distance between the prince, even when they climb onto Appa, flying into the distance.</p>
<p>But Sokka keeps his eyes locked on the kneeling firebender till he disappears on the horizon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't think it was possible, but I’m loving Toph more and more as I write her. She is just so amazing and probably the exact person Sokka needed right now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Bitter Work</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aang is trying his best to master earthbending, but he isn't the only one that uses this moment of peace for training.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry for updating late! My internet was fucked up and I couldn't post! The next one will be in time again! I promise!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘I should have known this was a bad idea.’</p>
<p>Sokka slides down the stone wall as pain radiates through his … everything.</p>
<p>‘Why did I even agree to train with Toph?! What except this did I expect to happen?’</p>
<p>He looks over to his manically laughing opponent, standing on a tower of rocks, Sokka’s only condolences being that she looks pretty exhausted too.</p>
<p>“Now it's six to two in my favor!” She shouts to him. “Do you want to go again?”</p>
<p>The firebender waves her off. “No thank you. And didn’t you want to start your training with Aang anyway?”</p>
<p>With a stomp she makes her mountain even to the ground again. “Well, I did say that. And it will probably be best to get Twinkle Toes started on it as soon as possible.” She tells him with an evil looking grin on her face.</p>
<p>‘Oh spirits, who did we add to our group.’ but he can't help but let out a small laugh.</p>
<p>“We will continue this later!” She calls as she walks over to Aang.</p>
<p>Sokka lays down on the sun warmed stone, taking in as much sunlight as he can.</p>
<p>Recently there hasn't been much time to simply sit down and meditate, so he takes this moment where the others are focused on Aang’s training. Even if he isn't sure what Katara is doing at the earthbending sessions.</p>
<p>He goes into a meditation position as he lets his inner flames grow in the sunlight, the warmth flowing through his body. </p>
<p>‘I really missed this.’</p>
<p>He calls up a flame and lets it circle around his body, every ray of heat under his perfect control.</p>
<p>‘It still works exactly like it is supposed to. But somehow Azula’s flames are so incredibly difficult! The question is what my problem with them is.’</p>
<p>He returns the floating flame to his hand, holding it right in front of his heart.</p>
<p>“I never thought of heating up a flame as strong as she did. It always seems too dangerous to do, and the more I focus on heat the less I can concentrate on actually controlling it. It never was necessary to heat the flames even more, so I never trained how to control them. But it looks like this isn't the case anymore.”</p>
<p>He lets his inner fire flare even more, letting all the energy flow into the little flame, letting it grow more and more, slowly letting the heat rise.</p>
<p>The glow increases every second, casting his shadow over the rocky ground around him. But one thing doesn't add up.</p>
<p>“Why isn't it turning blue? The heat really feels like it should be hot enough too...” He curiously turns around to look at it from every direction, extending his senses to it.</p>
<p>‘Yep, definitely hot enough. And I can still control it perfectly.’ He waves it around, maybe trying to get more air to it in an attempt to fuel it better, but there is no change in the flames colour.</p>
<p>His mind is running a mile a minute when suddenly a tremor runs through the ground, throwing him out of his cross legged position.</p>
<p>“What the-!” He looks to the other side of the cliff to see what can only be described as a mountain rising from the ground. </p>
<p>‘Looks like I won't be able to concentrate anyway.’ Another tremble goes through the earth. ‘Let’s check out what they are doing.’</p>
<p>He finds them just in time to see Toph stomp away in a frustrated fashion. ‘This feels like it will become a thing,’</p>
<p>“I take it wasn't that easy?” He asks Aang as he sits down beside the boy. Said person lets his shoulders drop even more.</p>
<p>“I just don't get it! This feels so different from airbending! I manage to do the basic training, but when it actually comes to moving a rock I just … can't.”</p>
<p>“Well, earth is the opposite of air, right? It’s only logical that you find it difficult.” Sokka tries to reassure the boy.</p>
<p>“But that doesn't change the fact that I have to be able to learn it, and fast.” </p>
<p>“Hey, come down.” The water tribe boy tells him in a gentle voice. “You didn't learn water bending on one day either, and it had the same flow-y feel like airbending, right? Just be patient, you will get it sooner or later.”</p>
<p>The airbender body relaxes a bit. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a thoughtful hum. “Well, maybe you just have to take a break for a bit. We had something planned anyway.” He tells the airbender with a grin.</p>
<p>“We had? I can't remember- Oh.” The airbender's posture becomes tense again. “Are you really sure you want to go to the spirit world again.” He asks, worried practically flowing out of his voice.</p>
<p>The firebender gives him a determined nod. “Yes. I’ve made up my mind, even if you think it's too dangerous. I was dragged in once, so it might happen again, and you will probably have to enter it alone next time you need to if I don't.”</p>
<p>Aang lets out a sigh. “Okay. Let’s start.”</p>
<p>The avatar goes into a cross legged position, the firebender doing the same.</p>
<p>“I- uhm. I don't really know how to explain this. Usually I just try to calm the energy inside my body and shut out every thought.” The boy explains as he closes his eyes. “After that there just is this ... feeling that I try to follow.” The boy explains.</p>
<p>Sokka just shrugs, closing his eyes too. He knows how confusing this spirit stuff can be, so he will just do his best to follow the airbender's advice.</p>
<p>‘But this just feels like normal meditating does. Just without the firebening part.’</p>
<p>For a while they sit in silence, and suddenly Sokka feels some sort of energy escape from Aang, emitting from his body like a warm summer breeze. It is not the same, but is weirdly similar to how the spirit oasis felt.</p>
<p>Sokka reaches out to it with his senses when suddenly the ground under him shoots up and he is thrown into the air.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy lets out a shriek as he snaps his eyes open, seeing the ground get closer at an alarming speed.</p>
<p>He flares his inner flame, releasing it from his arms in a constant blaze to slow down his fall. And with energy from the bright midday sun, it seems to work, and with a gentle thud he lands on the ground, the flames returning into his body.</p>
<p>“You are no fun.” comes Toph’s voice from the side. “You  did the same thing when we first met, right? I really should have known. … Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I didn't hear any flames at that time.”</p>
<p>“First of all: Rude. And secondly: I am trying out some ways to not make it obvious that I’m using firebending. You know why.”</p>
<p>She gives him an interested look. “But I’m guessing it's not as strong as if you use your bending properly.”</p>
<p>He gives her a shrug. “What can you do? I will take what I can get. Why didn't you interrupt us anyway?”</p>
<p>She turns her attention to Aang. “I thought of a new tortu- I meant a training method I want to try out. And Twinkle Toes had enough of a break already.” She tells them with an evil looking grin.</p>
<p>Sokka gives Aang a weary glance but the boy just stands up with a determined look in his eyes. “Sorry Sokka. We will continue later, okay?”</p>
<p>The teen nods in agreement. He has something he wants to test out now anyway. But he feels kinda bad for just leaving the kid to whatever training Toph will push on him. </p>
<p>On the other hand, he trusts the earthbender enough that she won’t go overboard. Too much.</p>
<p>He is about to start meditating again when the ground under him starts to shake again.</p>
<p>‘Let's go somewhere else. I don't think I will be able to concentrate like that.’ So he makes his way up the cliffs surrounding their current camp, soon finding a spot perfectly hit by the warm rays of the sun.</p>
<p>“So lets try this again.” Sokka mumbles as he drops down into a cross legged position, but more relaxed than last time.</p>
<p>He takes in a deep breath as he closes his eyes, feeling how his inner flame grows from the action. </p>
<p>‘The avatar has a natural link to the spirit world. That is probably what I felt earlier when he meditated, even if Aang didn't seem to realize what he was doing. The problem is that if already having a link to the spirit world is a requirement to get there, how am I supposed to do that?’</p>
<p>‘Well, I could try to hitch a ride like I did with Hei Bai. But then I would be a sitting turtleduck without Aang.’</p>
<p>He lets out a tired sigh before a thought flies though his mind. ‘But I definitely heard stories about people going into the spirit world through spiritual enlightenment. … Lets just try. Thinking alone won't do anything.’</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a deep breath, his thoughts clearing, but no matter how much he tries, his mind always focuses on his inner flame as soon as he goes into a deep concentration.</p>
<p>After three more tries with the same results he has enough. ‘Looks like this really won't work without Aang. Maybe I will find out more with his help. Toph said she wanted another fight when she is finished with Aang, right?’ He sharpens his ears, and yeah, there are still loud rocky sounding noises coming from the camp.</p>
<p>‘I should try to get my control training in while I can. The spirits know what can happen around here.’</p>
<p>He holds out his hands, small flames igniting on his fingers before flying into the air, calmly floating around his body.</p>
<p>He feels them swell and shrink with his breath, perfectly syncing to his every move even as he lets their heat grow more and more, just like earlier this day, when he suddenly feels a shift in his flames.</p>
<p>It is small and weak, almost untraceable even now that he is focused on it. But the weirdest thing of all is how familiar it feels.</p>
<p>He tries to shift closest to the energy, letting it grow so it is easier for him to reach it, but it still only feels like he is just scraping it with the tips of his fingers.</p>
<p>Sokka takes another deep breath, letting the energy flare together with his flames, and in the moment it is at its biggest he reaches out  to it and - crashes into the ground?</p>
<p>He snaps his eyes open and looks around.</p>
<p>“This definitely isn't where I started meditating.” He lets his eyes drift over his surroundings, the rocky cliffs being replaced by a forest, the tree’s leaves orange like the setting sun.</p>
<p>“Wait, is this-” He opens his palm -the one he reached after the energy with- revealing a small creature made out of flames. The same he met during his last time in the spirit world.</p>
<p>“It’s you!” He calls happily, a small flame sprouting from his palm, mixing with those of the small spirit, drawing a happy chirp from the creature.</p>
<p>He looks around the area, sensing the energies flowing around him, feeling both foreign and familiar at the same time.</p>
<p>“I did it! I really managed to go into the spirit world!” He exclaims with a bright smile on his face, the spirit bird flapping its fiery wings, energetically flying around the firebender, getting pulled along with his happiness.</p>
<p>“But how did I even manage that? All I did was meditate when I managed to travel here!” He questioningly looks at the small spirit, and somehow it looks like it knows exactly how, but wants him to figure it out on his own.</p>
<p>‘How the hell can I even understand it like that?’</p>
<p>He sits down on the soft leaf covered ground, the forest calmingly rustling in the warm winds as the gentle sun shines down on them.</p>
<p>But even if Sokka was prepared to spend a long time thinking about how he managed to get here, the moment the spirit lands on his shoulder to rest, its flame touching him, he realizes it instantly.</p>
<p>“That was you that I felt while meditating, right? You helped me get her. But how? Why were you there?” He asks, receiving a small and happy sounding chirp from his small friend.</p>
<p>With a small flap of one of its wings it spreads out its flames, but also Sokka’s, the two mixing together, swirling in a bright vortex until the flames settle into a calming glow.</p>
<p>“The flames mixing…'' Now that he thinks about it, he did give the small spirit a bit from his flames and in return the spirits shared some of it.</p>
<p>“So, does that mean you and I are linked now? I can reach out to you when I need to travel here?” He asks, receiving a nod.</p>
<p>‘Hun. And I thought spirit guides were just a thing from stories, or an avatar thing. Aang always gets all the weird stuff.’</p>
<p>“But that means I will have to give you a name now, right? After all, I can't just call you fire bird spirit every time I try to reach out to you.” He tells the little one, receiving a happy chirp from the spirit.</p>
<p>“Hmmm. Ah! I have the perfect Idea! What about” He makes a break for dramatic effect “Flamey Hot Wing?” He declares proudly.</p>
<p>The spirit gives him a deadpan look (‘How does it even do that?! It looks like a bird!) but then lets out a small chirp that almost sounds like a giggle.</p>
<p>“So you do like it! I knew it would be perfect!” He says, gently scratching the small spirit as he lets his flames flow between their bodies.</p>
<p>Flamey rests on Sokka’s shoulder for a while longer, their flames playfully moving between the two, mixing and swirling around the pair, as they relax in the warm sun.</p>
<p>But Sokka notices a small shift in the spirits demeanor, almost as if it got an idea. </p>
<p>With a surprisingly powerful beat of its wings it rises into the air, circling around the firebender with insistence in its eyes. </p>
<p>“You want to show me something?” He received a nod. “Should I follow?” a no.</p>
<p>He is about to question it further when the bird suddenly halst in mid air, levitating as flames flow from it’s small body, waiting for Sokka to do something. ‘Go into position’, the spirit conveys, somehow.</p>
<p>The spirit flies to float beside Sokka, a single beat of its wing sending a wave of flames over the ground, throwing up the leaves, but somehow not burning them.</p>
<p>Flamey gives Sokka a look, sailing to the side to give the firebender space to move.</p>
<p>‘Looks like it's my turn now.’ He goes into position, letting the flames flow through his arm as he does his best to imitate the birds movements, sending a wave of flames flowing over the ground. </p>
<p>But even to his inexperienced eyes it looks underwhelming, especially with the spirits' move to compare it to.</p>
<p>Flamey doesn't seem angered by his inability, but maybe the disappointment in its eyes is even worse. But the spirit doesn't seem too bothered by the failure, landing on Sokka’s shoulder, urging him to do it again.</p>
<p>The firebender lets his inner flame flare again, but the moment it starts to flow to his palm, he can feel how Flamey takes control of the flames, helping Sokka move them in the right way.</p>
<p>The heat flows through him like a river, liquid light almost, till it reaches his fingertips, a wave of pure, glowing flames spreading over the clearing.</p>
<p>He almost can't believe his eyes. His own flames never felt this pure and powerful. He turns to Flamey with amazement shining in his eyes.</p>
<p>“That's so amazing! Are you really sure I can learn that? I mean, I’m just a normal human after all.” But the spirit doesn't seem to have the slightest bit of doubt in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Well, then it looks like I’m a you service master Hot Wing.” He declares, getting the bird equivalence of a groan from the spirit.</p>
<p>______________________</p>
<p>Sokka is lying on the clearing’s ground, breathing heavily as he tries to calm his inner flame down after the training.</p>
<p>And while he isn't close to anything on the level of Flamey, he can confidently say that he has made quite some progress. He ignites a small flame in his palm, the heat warming the entire area as its core is almost white in colour.</p>
<p>But his moment of peace is interrupted when Flamey suddenly lets out an alarmed cry. </p>
<p>Without an explanation the spirit starts circling around him, a band of flames flying in the air, growing till it hides the forest entirely, then suddenly closing in on him.</p>
<p>Sokka opens his eyes in shock, blinking as he sees a big animal run his way, its claws loudly scraping on the rocky ground. </p>
<p>The firebender is already letting his flame flare, preparing to throw out a fireball, when Aang suddenly drops to the ground right before him.</p>
<p>The boy pushes his hands forward, a strong stormwind rushing around him as he forces the wild creature back, throwing it into the trees farther behind.</p>
<p>When he turns to Sokka his eyes light up in relief. “Sokka! You are okay! I was so worried!” He tells the firebender, catching him in a tight hug.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy can almost see the question come from the airbender's mouth, but the boy is interrupted when by Toph, slowly clapping as she sits on a boulder beside them.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here? Were you here the whole time? You could have helped us!” Aang tells her?</p>
<p>Sokka is looking at the two argue with slight confusion, pretty sure that he misses something important. ‘I have never seen Aang so ... steadfast. Wait, is Toph trying to-’</p>
<p>Aang stomps on the ground before the firebender can finish his thoughts, sending a bolder flying into the distance.</p>
<p>“I did it! I earthbend!” The avatar calls happily, but then suddenly turns back to Sokka. “And what was going on? You weren't moving at all when I found you! … Wait, did you go into the spirit world without-”</p>
<p>Sokka holds up his hands in defeat before the boy can continue.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry! It was an accident!”</p>
<p>Aang gives him a disbelieving look. “How do you even enter the spirit world by accident!?” He shouts horrified, Toph beside him just letting out a loud laugh.</p>
<p>The firebender just lets out a tired sigh. ‘This gonna take so long to explain.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I always kinda feel weird writing spirit world scenes because I really have fun with them, but I know that if I write them to extreme it will just be really out of place and make problems for the rest of the story. But I just really want to give Sokka this kind of stuff.</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope you like it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. The Library</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In a library that is supposed to hold all the knowledge of the world, will our group be able to find what they search for?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another shower runs down Sokka’s back, making him remember how close that creepy owl spirit is, making him miss the wonderful warm desert sun.</p>
<p>He knows it’s watching them, switching between observing each person of the group so that they don't do anything bad in his library.</p>
<p>The firebender would like to call him overly suspicious, but Sokka kinda IS planning to take some of the documents with him, so he can't really complain.</p>
<p>He would just leave the old documents here if he could, but they don't exactly have the time to stay here for ages and formulate a plan, so he is forced to take them with him to work through while they travel.</p>
<p>At first the prospect of the spirit finding out scared the shit out of him, but despite his title the spirit doesn't seem to be as intelligent as the water tribe boy first thought.</p>
<p>‘Maybe he is just knowing and not using that knowledge. And he definitely doesn't even feel as all-knowing as Koh. And they aren't even a spirit of knowledge.’</p>
<p>He focuses his attention back onto the books in front of him. The teen has been searching for everything he could that is related to the Fire Nation and not to forget firebending.</p>
<p>By now Sokka thinks he has a pretty good understanding of his bending, despite only having a teacher for some hours at most. But more information can never be a bad thing, right?</p>
<p>Not that his search has been successful till now.</p>
<p>Most information about firebending seems to have been destroyed together with the other information that could be used against the Fire Nation. All burned to ash years ago.</p>
<p>The most interesting thing he found were some old legends about some group called the sun warriors. An ancient tribe of firebenders with a strong connection to the sun, but who supposedly died out a long time ago.</p>
<p>And even this library does not seem to hold the secrets of their bending style.</p>
<p>Suddenly Sokka feels the spiritual presence watching him fade away, and he uses that moment to put another book into his bag. ‘Stupid bird deserves it anyway.’</p>
<p>He has all but given up hope when he suddenly spots a piece of paper carefully preserved on a pedestal.</p>
<p>“Well, that looks promising.”</p>
<p>______________________</p>
<p>He should have known getting out of here wouldn't be that easy.</p>
<p>He should have just shut his mouth for like ten minutes longer, or just not let himself get so distracted by the good news of finding a way to win against the Fire Nation that forgot to look out for Wan Shi Tong.</p>
<p>If he did any of that, he wouldn't have that creepy giant owl running right behind him.</p>
<p>Sokka jumps into a small gap between two bookshelves, the spirits head rushing after him, but getting stuck before it can reach the boy.</p>
<p>The firebender runs down another hallway, already hearing that the bird is catching up on him again. But as long as it is focused on him, Aang and Katara can make sure they get the information they need.</p>
<p>He just hopes they manage to get it before the library sinks into the ground.</p>
<p>That is the moment when he suddenly sees a blue spot move on the walkway across from him.</p>
<p>“We have it!” His sister shouts over the seemingly bottomless hole in the center of the building. “Let's get out of here!”</p>
<p>But before she can continue, Wan Shi Tong suddenly shoots out from the hall beside Sokka, rushing to attack Katara.</p>
<p>She calls up a small wall of ice, but with the only water around being the content of her water skin, she doesn't have much to work with and the spirit breaks with only one hit.</p>
<p>But despite all his supposed knowledge, the spirit forgot one thing. A firebenders' flame is strengthened by emotions.</p>
<p>The moment the ice wall is broken and the spirit tries to attack Katara, Sokka ignites in a violent blaze, flames bursting from his arms and legs, raising him into the air.</p>
<p>The fire propels him to his sister's site before the spirit can react, grabbing her hand to drag her out of the way just before the owl’s beak breaks into the ground below.</p>
<p>Sokka lands on the floor with a heavy thud, his flames weakening but not stopping.</p>
<p>As the spirit breaks its beak free from the ground Aang runs out from between the bookshelves beside them.</p>
<p>“You get Katara out of here.” Sokka tells the airbender, his eyes still focused on the enemy. “I will keep him off your backs.”</p>
<p>The avatar gives Sokka a determined nod, grabbing Katara’s hand as he opens his glider, lifting the waterbender into the air, flying to the exit above.</p>
<p>But the spirit won't make it that easy to them. It lets out a screech as it flies to the two but before it can reach them a fireball crashes into its wing, stopping its rise, then another one throws it onto the wall.</p>
<p>Sokka is flying in the air between the spirits and his companions, held in the air by his flames, absorbing energy from the strong midday sun of the desert shining down on him through the roof, spiritual energy from the library flowing into his body, the fire flowing from his legs so hot their cores almost appear white, the outer parts taking on a brilliant ruby color. </p>
<p>Just like his spirit teacher told him to do it.</p>
<p>He lets the heat gather in his palms, the flame glowing like molten metal, pointed at the spirit as it fights its way out of the wall it crashed into.</p>
<p>Just as it breaks loose, rushing towards Sokka for another attack, he releases the charged up energy, a bright blast shooting from his hands, crashing into the enemy with a bright explosion.</p>
<p>One more glance tells Sokka that the others have managed to get out of the library and he pushes his flames into his legs, the energy growing to propel him out of the building.</p>
<p>As soon as he flies out of the window at the top the whole building sinks into the ground behind him with a loud crash, only leaving behind a crater in the sand.</p>
<p>He slowly drifts down into the sand, his flames dying down as the exhaustion catches up to him.</p>
<p>‘I’m so fucking glad the sun is so strong around here. If my bending was even a bit weaker things would have gotten bad. I just really hope Flamey isn't angry at me for beating up another spirit.’</p>
<p>He looks up from the dune he landed in, spotting the dark expressions in his companions’ faces.</p>
<p>“What's going on? Is anyone hurt?” He asks, his voice full of worry as he runs to their side.</p>
<p>Aang turns to him, tears flowing down his face. “Appa is gone.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, I know this is really short but I didn't just want to write things exactly the same events  as they happened in canon, so I’m using this so I can catch up with my writing schedule so I can prepare for the exam time and prepare for that mass of stress without skipping a week of publishing. </p>
<p>I hope that it's still a good chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The Desert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group makes their way through the desert, tensions rising with their desperation. And oh, is that a cactus?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka thought he would never be able to get enough of the sun, but after hours of walking through the desert he might have to rethink that statement.</p>
<p>The sun has been relentlessly shining down on them for hours now, and Sokka is pretty sure that even he -a firebender- is starting to get a sunburn.</p>
<p>And his other companions don't seem to fare any better.</p>
<p>He sends a sympathetic look to Aang, the boy walking some steps behind him. The airbender isn't taking the disappearance of Appa well. ‘And how could he? He has already lost so much, and the bison was one of the little things he had from home.’</p>
<p>The teen slows his steps so that he lines up beside the avatar. “Hey, I know it's hard, but they won't hurt him. Appa is an air bison, the last known one of his kind. They will probably try to sell him to some rich Earth Kingdom noble for some incredible price.”</p>
<p>“He is probably getting all the food he can eat right now so they can make sure he is healthy.” Sokka tries to reason in an attempt to calm his companion down.</p>
<p>“Thanks Sokka.” But there isn't even a shred of the airbender's usual happiness on his face, the image making the firebender’s heart sting.</p>
<p>After a moment his expression suddenly becomes more bitter. “All of this wouldn't be a problem if Toph just took care of those sandbender.”</p>
<p>“What!?” The earthbender shouts as she turns around angrily. “Now it's my fault?! I can’t even fight properly in this sand! It’s just all so fuzzy I can't even see properly!”</p>
<p>Katara steps between the two before things can escalate even more. “Let's just try to calm down for now.”</p>
<p>“No! You just don't care about Appa at all! You all just care about your flying transport!” He shouts to the two, then turns around. “I will search for Appa. On my own.” He declares, opening his glider before the others can respond and flying up into the sky.</p>
<p>“Aang!” Katara shouts after the airbender, but he is already out of reach. </p>
<p>She lets out a tired sound. “Lets just keep going. We won't achieve anything by staying here.”</p>
<p>As they continue through the blazing heat even Sokka begins to get thirsty. Slowly he starts to understand why Katara always complains about the heat.</p>
<p>“Can I get some water?” Toph asks from beside him, her voice sounding weaker than he ever heard her before, making worry swell in his mind.</p>
<p>“Okay, but we have to try to conserve some.” She tells them, bending out some small spheres of water into the air, letting them float into the others mouth.</p>
<p>Sokka takes a small sip from it, letting the rest float back to Katara. She gives him a worried look, but he just shakes his head. “I’m a firebender. I can handle the heat better than you guys.”</p>
<p>‘But still, there has to be a better way than that. The sandbenders survive here too, so there has to be at least some way to get water.’ He looks around, holding his eyes open for anything that could help.</p>
<p>That is when he spots a green spot just some steps away, making him wonder how he didn't spot the cactus before. </p>
<p>“Well, let's look at this!” He calls to the others, approaching the plant, chopping off a part of it, revealing the water inside. “Here! We can get some water from these!”</p>
<p>He calls them over, taking a sip from the liquid. It tastes a bit weird, but the slightly sweet taste isn't bad at all.</p>
<p>But somehow there's suddenly a weird feeling spreading through his body, and suddenly, the entire area whites out.</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things are fuzzy, Sokka doesn't really know what's happening, but he thinks there is something shifting in front of him. </p>
<p>At least he doesn't feel cold, for some reason. He actually feels pretty good.</p>
<p>Now that he starts to concentrate on the thing in front of him they also seem to be talking to him, not that he understands it. Are they really talking?</p>
<p>It almost glows. Is it Flamey? It feels really warm and all, but no in the way Flamey does, but now that he looks at it, it begins to form into a more human shape.</p>
<p>And somehow their face is familiar, slowly shifting into something he recognizes . “Zuko?” But the face shifts again, changing between the different looks he has seen of the prince.</p>
<p>‘Ugly ponytail.’</p>
<p>But before he can settle on something concrete, the other firebender disappears again, and slowly gives place to the picture of the rising sun.</p>
<p>And he feels weirdly warm despite it being the end of night. Looking down at his own body answers that really fast. “Am I on fire?” He asks no one in particular.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes you are.” Someone tells him from beside him, probably Katara. She sounds exhausted. “Finally getting down from that spirit damn cactus juice?”</p>
<p>“Huh.” He slowly lets the flames die down, the cold air of the desert night flowing in, jolting him a bit.</p>
<p>He takes in another deep breath. “Yeah, I think it is getting better.”</p>
<p>“Finally…” She mutters, turning around to walk into one of the caves close to them.</p>
<p>Toph gives him a cheeky grin as she spots him. “So has the walking campfire finally calmed down?” </p>
<p>“Where even are we?” He asks the others, pointedly ignoring the earthbender.</p>
<p>“In the center of the desert, probably. But no idea what this mountain is.” Katara tells her brother.</p>
<p>“Mountain?” He looks around the weirdly round cave they are in, some weird substance dripping down the walls. Without much of a thought he sticks his finger into it, digging it around in the goo before sticking a bit of it into his mouth.</p>
<p>He instantly spits it out in disgust. “Tastes weird.” Almost sweet, but somehow like really rotten meat at the same time.</p>
<p>“Sokka! What in the spirit's name are you doing?! You were hallucinating on cactus juice the whole day and now you put the first thing you find in a cave into your mouth?!” She shouts, her face red with anger.</p>
<p>The firebender just shrugs. “I have a natural curiosity. But seriously, what is this stuff.” He looks down on the slimy substance again. It somehow seems to shift in his finger, but that is probably just because of the cactus juice.</p>
<p>He is about to walk deeper into the cave when Toph stops him. “I don't think this is a normal cave. It was carved by something.” She kneels down, placing her hand on the ground to get a better perception of the place. </p>
<p>“I think there is something buzzing in here. ... Something that's coming for us!” She calls, her shoulders stiffening as she goes into a fighting position as she runs out of the cave, promoting the others to do the same.</p>
<p>Sokka finds out pretty fast what she meant, the buzzard wasps flying out of their caves as soon as the group steps out in the more open areas.</p>
<p>Even if he can hardly keep his eyes on them with how nauseous their fast and erratic movements make him, he goes into formation beside the others. ‘Stupid cactus juice.’</p>
<p>Before they can even prepare the animals have surrounded them on all sides, their oppressive buzzing coming from all directions.</p>
<p>As one of them dives down to attack, Aang reacts fast, releasing a gust of wind and throwing the attacker into the wall behind it.</p>
<p>But the group doesn't get any time to rest, another swarm descending on them, brandishing their sharp looking beaks and claws. Sokka only half way realizes the chaos surrounding him, the cactus juice still giving him problems with the rapid movements.</p>
<p>The giant stone crushing into the ground next to him on the other hand is something he definitely notices.</p>
<p>“Toph!” He shouts, because who else could be the reason for giant boulders flying through the air. “That thing almost crushed me!” </p>
<p>“Sorry!” She calls over to him. “I can't tell where they are when they are in the air!” she explains as she throws another bolder into the air.</p>
<p>Sokka follows its movements as it cleanly misses all the enemies when suddenly something flies to him at great speed.</p>
<p>“I got this!” He announces, letting the flames flow out of his body, scorching the area around him, trying to hit the animals even if he can’t spot them properly, but when he stops his flame from flying around and reaches the ground, he doesn't find anything.</p>
<p>“I don't have this!” he corrects himself, the buzzing still assaulting his ears from all sides, not even noticing Aang fly after the buzzard wasps as it grabs Momo.</p>
<p>But suddenly Sokka can hear Katara’s voice through all the chaos. “Toph! Sixty degrees to the left! Sokka! Twenty to the right!”</p>
<p>Without questioning it he releases a blade of flames in the direction she said, blzing hot under the sun of the desert, and if the piercing cry he hears is anything to go by, it was a hit.</p>
<p>“Come on! We are getting down from here.” She calls, grabbing Sokka’s hand before he can even react, dragging him down the mountain.</p>
<p>But now that he concentrates on her he does notice her grab Toph's hand during the descent, pointing it into the distance, doing the same to Sokka. “That direction! Shoot!”</p>
<p>The fire and earthbender release their elements, Sokka feeling his desert sun powered flames rush through the air and collide with something.</p>
<p>“We did it! … Right?” He asks his sister who gives him a nod. </p>
<p>“Yes, you hit it. Now let's get down from here.” She says as she begins to drag him behind again. But using his bending and getting dragged around right now doesn't exactly help his nausea.</p>
<p>The water continues to give them instruction as they run when suddenly the ground begins to shake, the sand of the desert flying into the air and to the buzzard wasps, the animals retreating in panic.</p>
<p>Sokka would almost think that was Toph’s doing, but she was standing right beside him and he doesn't think the cactus juice is that strong anymore.</p>
<p>He is about to ask his sister when he notices the sandbenders in the distance.</p>
<p>The firebender has to hold back a growl at their presence. </p>
<p>‘Without these guys we wouldn't be in all of this trouble!’ But he can hold himself back with the reasoning that these probably aren't the same ones that kidnapped Appa.</p>
<p>But that doesn't mean he trusts any of them. Even the little contact he had with them taught him not to. But he won't attack them until they do, or Aang will be angry, right?</p>
<p>Speaking of the boy, he lands in front of them right at that moment, holding up his staff threateningly as he stares the sandbenders down.</p>
<p>One of them steps forward and says ... something. The firebender has problems listening as the building exhaustion slowly adds itself to the lingering effects of the cactus juice.</p>
<p>He tries to follow the conversation without success until the members of his group suddenly go into fighting position, Katara even taking out the knife Sokka made for her years ago.</p>
<p>But there are some words that Sokka clearly hears over the others, probably because of the power with witch Aang says them and even more importantly the absolutely TERRIFYING amount of spirit energy the boy released as he tells them, making the firebender wonder how the airbender hasn't entered the avatar state yet.</p>
<p>“You stole Appa! Where is he!?” the avatar shouts to the shocked looking sandbender who immediately tries to deny the claims.</p>
<p>But this expression turns from shocked to terrified as Aang sends one of their sand ships flying away with a single swing of his staff. And honestly, Sokka starts to be terrified too. He has never seen Aang so angry before.</p>
<p>The spirit energy released from the boy’s body rises even more and Sokka feels himself getting dragged away. By Toph, he realizes.</p>
<p>A storm picks up as Aang loses control of his emotions, the winds picking up the desert sand, whirling around the boy like whips, making Sokka curl into his body to protect himself.</p>
<p>When the wind starts to subside, allowing Sokka to open his eyes, he sees Katara hold Aang in a tight hug, the small airbender crying silent tears, even the desert winds so still they seem to cry with him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I seriously had no idea on how to write the cactus juice scenes from Sokka's point of view. I hope I did it okay. Stretching it out felt bad in every variation I tried. Anyway, I hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. The Serpent’s Pass</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Despite all of Sokka’s insistence the group begins their travels over the Serpent’s Pass. He just hopes this doesn't turn out as bad as he thinks it will.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By now Sokka is ready to promise to never complain over any part of Appa ever again. Not the smell, the fur sticking everywhere, the loud snoring in the night, you name it. </p>
<p>Because walking over the uneven rocky terrain for hours on end, up and down the mountains again and again, is really starting to get on his nerves.</p>
<p>Katara beside him doesn't seem to fare any better, if the frequency at which they had to stop so she could heal the blisters on her and her brother’s feet is anything to go by.</p>
<p>‘At least we have water again so she can actually heal, or most importantly, so we can finally drink again.’</p>
<p>Right now they are resting at a small lake, the others relaxing while Sokka works through the maps.</p>
<p>‘But if they already aren't helping, they could at least try not to make things even more difficult for me!’ He thinks as he throws up a wall of flames, evaporating the water Katara splashes around before it hits the ancient maps Sokka got from the spirit library.</p>
<p>He understands that the others are happy to be out of the desert, especially Katara with her link and reliance on water and innate hate of the sun, but he would really appreciate some help.</p>
<p>Well, he would have an hour ago. By now he has found the right maps and planned out the remaining way to Ba Sing Se. </p>
<p>Not that he had much choice with it. There is only one real path after all, now that they have lost Appa.</p>
<p>The firebender lets his eyes sway over to Aang. The boy has spoken so little since they got out of the desert, and it is really worrying Sokka. But he has no idea how to solve this, and that thought makes him feel weaker than ever before.</p>
<p>And that now only leaves the group one choice: continue to go forward until they get the bison back.</p>
<p>“So what's the plan?” Katara asks as she climbs out of the lake, splashing water all over Sokka’s documents as she does.</p>
<p>“No idea with all my stuff completely soaked through.” He says, giving her an annoyed look. She just rolls her eyes, bending the water out of the old parchment, not even looking the slightest bit guilty.</p>
<p>The firebender just lets out a tired sigh. He really doesn't have the energy to argue some responsibility into his sister. He knows he would only talks to a brick wall anyway.</p>
<p>“So the best way would be over the Serpent’s Pass. It's the only way you can take from our current position without a boat or making an enormous detour, now that we can't rely on Appa.”</p>
<p>His sister punches his shoulder as soon as the words leave his mouth. “Be a little more sensitive!” She hisses to him. “Aang is listening!”</p>
<p>But the airbender just gives them an impassive look. “It’s okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa, but I just wanna focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse.”</p>
<p>And if that kind of detachment didn't set the alarm bells in Sokka’s head. But he also doesn't have any way to fix this. </p>
<p>Katara on the other hand doesn't seem to pick up on the airbender’s detached demeanor. “Well, it's good that you are doing better.” She just tells him awkwardly, turning around to pack up her things.</p>
<p>Sokka takes that time to walk over to the airbender. “Aang. It's okay to be angry, you know? That sandbender deserved it after what he has done. And I’m sure we will find Appa in no time once we reach Ba Sing Se. I mean, It would be pretty hard to hide a ten ton flying bison, right?” He tries to joke.</p>
<p>But his attempt at lifting the boy’s mood is in vain. “It’s okay Sokka. I-” he is interrupted by the call of a man on the other side of the lake they are staying at. </p>
<p>“Hello there, fellow refugees!” the man shouts as he waves to them, two women standing beside him.</p>
<p>Aang is the first to approach them. “So are you headed to Ba Sing Se too?”</p>
<p>“Sure are!” He tells them with a polite smile. “We are trying to get there before my wife Ving has her baby.” He explains.</p>
<p>Sokka turns his attention to the woman. He doesn't want to make assumptions, but even from his limited pool of experience with the women of the village he thinks that it can't be long till the baby comes. ‘Like really soon.’</p>
<p>He looks at the other members of his group. ‘Doesn't look like they would be willing to let them travel alone. Not even Toph! Then we have to hurry before she gets into labor.’</p>
<p>“Well, then let's get going.” He says, picking up his backpack from the ground. “To the Serpent’s Pass!”</p>
<p>Suddenly the refugees flinch back as if hurt physically. “The Serpent's Pass? Only the truly desperate dare to take that deadly route.”</p>
<p>“Deadly rout, huh?” Toph says from the side. “Great pick!” She says as she throws Sokka over with a hit of her elbow, and the sound of her voice makes him really unsure if she was being sarcastic or not. ‘And if she was, that would be my job!’</p>
<p>“You should come with us to the full moon bay.” One of the travelers suggests. “They have ferries there that take the people over the lake. It’s the fastest way to Ba Sing Se.”</p>
<p>“And it’s hidden, so the Fire Nation cant find it.” His wife explains.</p>
<p>And even if Sokka  has some doubts about the Fire Nation being unable to find it, considering this random group of refugees knows about it, the other members of his group don't seem to question the words.</p>
<p>Katara even gives him a cheeky look. “A peaceful ferry ride or a deadly pass?”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy just turns to the side with an annoyed expression. “Well, excuse me for not being able to read that information out of a probably millennia old map.”</p>
<p>After that it doesn't take much longer as they start to walk towards the ferry. Even if Sokka still has some doubt that something like that could actually avoid the attention of the Fire Nation.</p>
<p>‘This a weak point just waiting to be exploited! Imagine how easy it would be for them to sneak in spies!’</p>
<p>But for once, Sokka is actually positively surprised.</p>
<p>They approach a small and unsuspecting hut on the edge of a mountain, the man sitting by it giving them a nod, before bending the wall open, letting them walk into the huge cavern filled with ships and refugees.</p>
<p>Sokka lets his eyes stray over the masses of people. ‘There are so many here. Some even have set up tents. There is no way they are managing to transport all of them Ba Sing Se in time.’</p>
<p>Katara seems to be having similar thoughts. “I can't believe how many lives have been thrown into chaos by the Fire Nation.”</p>
<p>The people here seem miserable. Tired looks, ripped clothing, clear signs of lacking food. It’s as if he spots a new problem with every look. ‘We have to get rid of the Fire Nation as fast as possible. We can’t let this continue any longer.’</p>
<p>“They are all looking for a better life in the safety of the walls of Ba Sing Se, just like all of us.” Ving says, a hopeful look in her eyes.</p>
<p>‘Oh yeah, now that I think of it we didn't tell them why we are going to Ba Sing Se. Better not start now. It is best to keep the information of the solar eclipse a secret until the last moment so the Fire Nation doesn't have enough time to prepare.’</p>
<p>The two groups are split up as they step into the lines for the ferries, the guards dividing them in accordance with some criteria they didn't want to explain, even after encouraging them to.</p>
<p>‘They probably already have their hands full with all the people here.’</p>
<p>But Sokka’s sympathy is quickly turned to worry as said guards drag away a merchant as he is denied a place on the ferry. ‘But what is he shouting about cabbages?’</p>
<p>The water tribe boy gulps as they step up to the receptionist, the woman giving them an angry glare.</p>
<p>Luckily for him Aang takes over the talking. “Uhm, We would like four tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se please.”</p>
<p>“Passports.” The receptionist just demands in an automatic fashion, probably already used to the situation.</p>
<p>‘But we don't even have passports! How were we supposed to get some? It's not like we could just ask a random person for Earth Kingdom passports. … Now that I think about it, we probably could have asked Bumi for it. He is a King after all, despite his, everything.’</p>
<p>Sokka snaps out of his thoughts when Aang continues in a nervous voice. “We, uhm, we weren't told to bring passports.”</p>
<p>The woman doesn't seem impressed. At all. But after what the other travelers had said about the Serpent’s Pass, Sokka really doesn't want to test out if her words about it are true, so he steps forward to face the receptionist.</p>
<p>“Don't you know who you are talking to? He is the avatar!” </p>
<p>She just huffs, pointing to the side. “I see fifty avatars a day, and by the way, not a very impressive costume.” </p>
<p>Sokka follows her pointing, his eyes landing on a group of children dressed up as Aang. With VERY varying amounts of success.</p>
<p>“Besides, no animals allowed.” She adds for good measure, her eyes on Momo.</p>
<p>The firebender steps up beside Aang, about to tell him to use his airbending when Toph blocks his path, stepping up to the reception.</p>
<p>“I’ll handle this.” She simply says, but her voice sounds annoyed in a way that the water tribe boy hasn't heard from her before.</p>
<p>She pulls out a piece of sturdy looking parchment with a gold seal on it, placing it on the table of the receptionist. “My name is Toph Bei Fong and I’ll need four tickets.”</p>
<p>The receptionist's face lights up in a mixture of wonder, shock and respect. “The golden seal of the flying boar! Of course you can have the ticket! It is my pleasure to be of service to anyone from the Bei Fong family.” The woman tells her with a bow.</p>
<p>“Yes. And as you can see, I’m blind, and these three imbeciles are my valets.” Sokka has to suppress throwing a glare at the earthbender. Just playing with her seems to be the better idea.</p>
<p>The receptionist looks between the girl and the rest of the group in conflict. “B-But the animal.” </p>
<p>“Is my seeing-eye flying lemur.” Toph interrupts her.</p>
<p>With a sight the receptionist lets her head hang in defeat. “Well, normally it is just one ticket per passport and no animals, but this document is so officiel, I guess I can make an exception with this one time.” She tells Toph, stamping four tickets for the group.</p>
<p>“Thank you very much.” the earthbender says, grabbing the thickest from the counter as she turns to walk away.</p>
<p>Sokka gives the earthbender a smile. “Thanks Toph. Really saved our ass there.” He tells her. Knowing how much she dislikes using her family's influence, she at least deserves some thanks for it.  </p>
<p>‘Maybe we can do another training battle later. She would probably like that.’ Even if he can already feel the bruises he is going to get from that.</p>
<p>But he is suddenly ripped out of his thoughts when a hand grabs the back of his shirt. He barely can hold his flames back from breaking out because of the surprise, when  he is turned around to come face to face with one of the guards.</p>
<p>She gives him a hostile glare. “Tickets and Passport, please.” She says poking at Sokka’s chest. </p>
<p>“Is there a problem?” Sokka asks, his eyes nervously jumping around the area. ‘Did I do something wrong? Were there some rules I didn't know about? Or is this because we cheated to get the tickets? Spirits, what if the others get thrown out because of me?’</p>
<p>“Yeah, I got a problem with you!” she announces. “I have seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you are hilarious, and let me guess, you are traveling with the avatar.”</p>
<p>‘Well that is some weirdly specific information.’ But as she speaks he demeanor slowly turns more and more into a smile. A very familiar smile, and now that he thinks about it also a very familiar voice.</p>
<p>“Suki!” He moves forward and catches the Kyoshi warrior in his arms, she returning the tight hug. </p>
<p>“Sokka, it's so good to see you!” She tells him with a bright smile. ‘As if she didn't just give me the shock of my life.’ </p>
<p>Another group of people walks by them, loudly speaking to each other. Suki gives them a slightly annoyed look. “Lets get somewhere more private.” She says, taking Sokka’s hand and leading them to a small outlook on the wall that separates the cave from the lagoon.</p>
<p>“It has been far to long!” the firebender tells her. “I missed you so much.”</p>
<p>She returns the warm smile. “I missed you too. You what are you guys doing here?”</p>
<p>“We are on the way to Ba Sing Se to give the King some really important information that could turn the war in our favor.” the firebender explains enthusiastically.</p>
<p>A genuine smile spreads over the Kyoshi warriors face as she hears that. “I really hope so. This war has been going in for far to long.”</p>
<p>“You look really different without your makeup, and with that new outfit.”</p>
<p>Suki gives the waterbender a small sigh, but the smile doesn't leave her face. “That crabby lady makes all the security guards wear them.” </p>
<p>She turns to Sokka with a slightly mischievous glint in her eyes. “And look at you, sleeveless guy. Been working out?”</p>
<p>The firebender laughs awkwardly, his face taking on a pink shade as he rubs the back of his neck. “Well, I have been trying build up some muscles.”</p>
<p>Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't been wearing his thick parka as often anymore. </p>
<p>His firebending has become strong enough to keep him warm in these areas, and if he has the choice he would rather like to feel the warm rays of the sun dance over his skin.</p>
<p>“Are the other Kyoshi warriors around?” Aang asks her, letting his eyes sway over the guards walking around below.</p>
<p>“Yeah, after you left Kyoshi island, we wanted to find a way to help the people. And after we escorted a group of refugees we ended up staying here ever since.”</p>
<p>She turns to scratch behind Momo’s ears when Sokka sees a thought plop up in her head. “So why are you guys taking the ferry? Can't you just fly across it with Appa?”</p>
<p>Sokka can literally feel the mood drop, the eyes of the group drifting to the ground. </p>
<p>“Appa is missing.” Katara explains. “We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se.”</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry. Are you doing okay Aang?” She turns to the airbender.</p>
<p>But he just turns to the side with a scowl on his face. “I’m doing fine! Can everybody just stop worrying about me?”</p>
<p>Suki doesn't look offended by his hostility. “I know you will find him soon.” She tries to encourage him, a knowing look on her face.</p>
<p>Suddenly a shout from down at the bottom of the wall catches their attention. “Avatar Aang! Please help us.”</p>
<p>Sokka follows the sound to spot the pregnant women they travel with. ‘When did she pick up on the avatar thing?’</p>
<p>“Someone took all of our belongings! Our passports, our tickets! Everything is gone!” She calls to them as tears begin to flow out of her eyes.</p>
<p>Sokka looks knowingly over to Aang, the boy already having a determined expression on his face. ‘Of course he wound lever them on their own. I just hope the receptionist has some more mercy.’</p>
<p>______________________</p>
<p>She doesn't. Of course she doesn't. The first time was already a close call, and demanding three more tickets just was too much.</p>
<p>But despite her words Aang doesn't wear a despaired expression on his face, giving off an aura that Sokka would only expect from an adult avatar. “Don't worry. I’ll lead you through the Serpent's Pass.”</p>
<p>Despite the smiles that spread over the travelers' faces Sokka can't help the worry that grows in his mind.</p>
<p>‘If the intensity at which the refugees avoid the Serpent's Pass is anything to go by we REALLY shouldn't take that route. And we really have to hurry up with getting to Ba Sing Se to make sure nothing happens to Appa.’</p>
<p>He turns his attention to the other members of his group, but doesn't see any kind of aversion to Aang’s idea.</p>
<p>Katara being too kind to leave the refugees behind and Toph who is always on board for danger. ‘Why do I have to be the responsible person here? We have bigger responsibilities than a single family.’</p>
<p>Steps out from behind the others. “Aang. We really need to get to Ba Sing Se as fast as possible. You know that too. We can’t make a day- long detour now.”</p>
<p>But the airbender gives him a stubborn look. “How can I call myself the avatar if I turn my back to those in need?” He simply says, turning around to walk to the exit of the cave, the travelers following.</p>
<p>The firebender turns to his sister, hoping for some support, but she just turns to walk after the airbender.</p>
<p>With his last shred of hope Sokka turns to Toph, but even that last bit is lost when he sees the excited grin on her face.</p>
<p>“I can't believe we are going to give up out ticket and now we are going through the Serpent's pass for probably days just because of three people.” Sokka complains to Toph, making sure that the family in question doesn't hear him. </p>
<p>‘And the fact that I have to hide my bending AGAIN because of them. The others have no idea how uncomfortable that is.’</p>
<p>Toph just gives him a deadpan look (‘Where did she even learn that?’). “I can't believe you're complaining about that. And by the way, its four people.”</p>
<p>Sokka just lets out a sigh. Of course he also would feel bad for leaving the refugees behind, especially because they have the baby, but they have to think about the big picture right now.</p>
<p>After all, if they get the information to the Earth King on time, the entire war might end and everyone will have most of their problems solved.</p>
<p>He is dragged out of his thoughts when he hears fast steps approach from behind him. He almost thinks it might be a thief, until he spots the green-gold coloring of their outfit.</p>
<p>According to Ving there were some around here, but he kind of suspects they never had any passports to begin with, considering they didn't talk about it when they came here at all, and still have their backpacks on them.</p>
<p>Just the healthy dose of scepticism that has helped to save his ass so many times before.</p>
<p>As Sokka turns around he comes face to face with Suki.</p>
<p>“I’m coming too!” She calls to them, coming to a halt in front of Sokka with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>But the water tribe boy doesn't think of this as a smiling matter. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” ‘It’s already risky enough for her to be away from Kyoshi island. I can't drag her into even more danger</p>
<p>“Sokka, I thought you would want me to come.” She sounds kind of indignant. ‘Understandably.’</p>
<p>“I do, it's just…” He starts, but the words just get stuck in his throat. ‘And I didn’t even start talking about the whole relationship thing.’</p>
<p>“Just what?” She pushes in before he can finish.</p>
<p>“Nothing. I’m glad you are coming.” He tells her, unable to get the words out, but he already feels the dread flow into his mind as he sees her run to his other companions, giving them a bright smile.</p>
<p>Sokka clenches his fist in determination. ‘I won't let anything happen to her. This time I won't let someone die again. No matter what.’</p>
<p>So he runs up to his companions, with a fake smile on his face and dread in his heart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I know not much happened in this chapter. But it was getting too long for my current chapter length! Don't worry, the next one will have more action. I promise they will be longer once I’m out of my exam time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Serpent's Pass Crossing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On their way over the Serpent's Pass the deadly cliffs aren't the only problem for Sokka.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka takes in the sight in front of him, the red gate marking the entrance of the Serpent’s Pass, contrasting with the blues and greys surrounding it.</p>
<p>The atmosphere is as tense as the firebender expected, but he doesn't feel any spirits around. ‘A least there probably isn't a spirit problem on top of all of this.’</p>
<p>He takes in the sight of the straight, cliff like path in front of him with a frown. “This is the Serpent's Pass? It thought it would be windier, you know, like a snake.” </p>
<p>‘Let's hope the bad rumors about it are as out of place as the name.’</p>
<p>Ving turns to one of the pillars of the gate. “How awful.” she says, protectively holding her pregnant stomach.</p>
<p>Katara walks up to her. “It says, ‘Abandon all hope.’” The woman beside her lets out a distressed sound.</p>
<p>But that actually calms Sokka. ‘If that is enough to get that reaction out of her, then there might be a good chance for the rumors to be wildly exaggerated. Hopefully.’</p>
<p>Aang doesn't seem to be disturbed by the words either. “The monks sometimes said that hope is just a distraction, so maybe we need to abandon hope. So maybe we do need to abandon it. We need to focus on what's in front of us.”</p>
<p>But to tell the truth, maybe Sokka would have preferred a fearful answer over this one.</p>
<p>“Aang... “ the water tribe boy tries as he approaches the boy, but the airbender just turns around to the pass. </p>
<p>“Lets go. We shouldn't waste anymore time.” Aang says, making his way through the gate with determined steps.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a sad sigh but follows after the others. ‘I really don't like this side of him. I really hope we can get Appa back soon.’</p>
<p>The sea wind hits Sokka as soon as they step onto the pass, the mountains previously protecting them from the fierce gust now laying behind them.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy has missed the salty smell of the air, it always makes him remember his home, but right now it is too cold to make him comfortable enough to relax into it.</p>
<p>“The Fire Nation controls the west side of the lake. Rumor has it they are working on something big on the other side and don't want anyone to see.” Suki explains to the rest of the group.</p>
<p>Sokka let his eyes stray over the waters. In the distance he sees a grey vessel over the water, probably a Fire Nation ship. </p>
<p>“It definitely is patrolling, but it doesn't look like they have spotted us yet, but we should try to get cover anyway.” He tells his companions, receiving a nod in response.</p>
<p>As they continue to walk on the narrow paths, Sokka suddenly hears a crack go through the ground in front of him.</p>
<p>The teen takes a step back to avoid the shifting earth, but Than doesn't react fast enough, just managing to shove his wife out of the way when the rock collapses under his feet.</p>
<p>He is about to pummel into the depth below when a bolder shoots out of the wall right below his feet, catching him before he can get hurt, then tossing him up to the walkway again.</p>
<p>Suddenly Sokka feels a source of fire ignite to his side. He follows it to see the Fire Nation ship change its course as they ready the flaming ammunition of their catapults.</p>
<p>“They spotted us! We have to get cover somewhere!” He calls to the group, pointing at the vessel as they release the flaming attack.</p>
<p>He extends his arms to the projectile as it draws closer, seeing Aang ready his staff as well. He flares the fire surrounding it to propel it backwards, Aang giving it one more boost with his wind, shooting it back to the enemy ship with even more speed then it started at.</p>
<p>The projectile hits into the back of the ship, probably the engine room if the huge amounts of smoke are anything to go by.</p>
<p>But in the cover of the hot ash Sokka doesn't notice the Fire Nation fire another attack, only feeling the flaming bolder approach when it is too close to already stop.</p>
<p>He extends his control to slow it down, but it still smashes into the top of the cliff they are on with enough speed to create an avalanche of rocks, plummeting at them with an enormous speed.</p>
<p>Right down at Suki.</p>
<p>Panic flows through Sokka's body as he runs towards her, pushing her out of the way of the avalanche as he extends his arms upwards, letting the heat flow into them.</p>
<p>He releases a burst of heat up the cliff, creating a strong updraft to push the boulders away from him, just enough so they fall into the water below.</p>
<p>A painful sting runs through his arms as soon as the heat dies down, but at least not as painful as the first time he tried to suppress his flames.</p>
<p>But for him there are far more important things then his own pain.</p>
<p>“Suki! Are you okay?” he asks as he runs to the Kyoshi warriors side. “You have to be more careful! Come one.”</p>
<p>She just lets him pull her along, down the pass till the route switches to the east side of the Serpent’s Pass, hiding them from the Fire Nation.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a relieved sigh when the sounds and flames of the Fire Nation ship fade into the distance, feeling how his inner flame slowly starts to calm down.</p>
<p>But now that he can finally concentrate on something other than the danger around them, he notices that he is still clutching Suki’s hand in his own.</p>
<p>He lets go of it in a hasty movement, awkwardly turning to the side.</p>
<p>She gives him a confused look, but it seems like gears start to turn in her head. Not that Sokka notices as he slowly backs off the end of their group.</p>
<p>It doesn't take much longer till the sun starts to set and the group is forced to rest for the night, the cliffs being far too dangerous to travers even in slight darkness.</p>
<p>But after Suki almost got hit by the rock avalanche, Sokka can't bring himself to leave the Kyoshi warrior out of his eyes. “Suki, you can't sleep there. Who knows how stable that ledge is? Better stay a bit closer to the fire.”</p>
<p>He goes to take her sleeping bag but she grabs his wrist before he reaches it, dragging him a bit down the path, away from the others ears.</p>
<p>“Sokka, what is wrong? You have been worrying about me the whole day. I can take care of myself too. I’m a warrior. You said that yourself.”</p>
<p>“You’re right, you’re right. But you can never be careful enough, you know.” He tires, but she just gives him a doubtful look. She isn't fooled that easily.</p>
<p>The firebender lets out a sigh. “I’m just worried. You know?”</p>
<p>Her expression doesn't change at all. “Just tell me what is going on.” She continues to stare at him with an intense expression, but it begins to soften as she spots the look in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey. Sokka.” Her voice is gently as she gently lays her hand on his shoulder. “You can talk to me, okay? I promise I would never be angry at you, you know?”</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a shaky breath, the moonlight illuminating the grey cliffs. “It’s just- I- So much happened during the time we last met. When I was at the north pole I lost someone I really cared about. Because I was too weak to protect her.”</p>
<p>“She relied on me, I promised her father to protect her. And now when I heard from your village chief that I inspired you to fight in the front, I just-” His words break as he lets out a choked cry.</p>
<p>“I don't want to lose you too. You are my friend. You taught me so much even if we just got to spend so little time together, and I just-”</p>
<p>Suki catches him in a tight hug before he can finish his sentence, her hand gently combing through his hair. “It’s okay. I’m okay. And I’m not planning on going down any time soon. I’m the leader of the Kyoshi warriors. They are going to need an army to take me down. You aren't going to get rid of me any time soon.” She tells him, her voice gentler then he ever heard it before.</p>
<p>Despite everything, Sokka lets out a wet laugh, tightening his hold on Suki.</p>
<p>If she notices how her shoulder gets wet, she doesn't comment on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It takes a while for the firebender to calm down, the tears slowly drying as he gets his inner flame under control.</p>
<p>“Want to talk about it?” Suki asks as she moves away slightly, taking a look at Sokka’s face.</p>
<p>‘Spirits, I probably look horrible.’ But he still gives her a slight nod, wiping the tears away from his eyes.</p>
<p>“Her name was Yue, and she was the princess of the northern water tribe.” He starts, the moonlight gently illuminating the area.</p>
<p>_________________</p>
<p>Sokka talks for what feels like hours, maybe even are hours.</p>
<p>And Suki has listened the entire time.</p>
<p>“You have really been through much lately. And I know you have probably heard this enough already, but she isn't really gone, even if it is sad that you won't be able to meet her again.”</p>
<p>“And well, if what you told me about her, you probably have your spirit ex giving you her moonly support from now on.”</p>
<p>She jokes, trying to lighten the atmosphere. And despite everything, it works remarkably well, drawing a small laugh out of the firebender.</p>
<p>But her words also call something different in his mind. The whole girlfriend thing.</p>
<p>Suki seems to pick up on it before he can voice his thoughts. “So, your girlfriend, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I- I really care for you, but I just don't think it is supposed to be that way between us.” He says in a small voice, expecting an angry outburst, his eyes fixed on the ground, but there is none of that.</p>
<p>After he finally manages to look up to her face, he can only spot acceptance. The sad kind, but none of the wrath that could have been.</p>
<p>“I think I get it.” She says. “So many things happened. It's only natural that they would change us. Maybe things will lead us to roads we never expected to walk.”</p>
<p>“So, we can still be friends?” His voice is hopeful.</p>
<p>He falls in her arms as soon as she nods, all the tension finally leaving his body.</p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p>When Sokka wakes up the next morning he feels better than in a long, long time.</p>
<p>Suki and he spend the last night speaking for hours, far more deep into the night than Sokka would have ever thought comfortable for a firebender like him.</p>
<p>They told about everything they could think of, and even after waking up the next day they continued with their stories.</p>
<p>“...And when that crazy Earth Kingdom city tried to condemn Aang for their supposed crimes, standing in front of them in Kyoshi’s outfit, the actual Kyoshi somehow took over his body!” Sokka explains, making big movements with his arms in his enthusiasm.</p>
<p>The surprise is more than clear in Suki’s eyes. “You saw Kyoshi?! That’s amazing! How was she?”</p>
<p>“She was so intimidating! Do you have any idea how big she is? She towered over all the guards around her like they are children! And she just gave out so much energy you could nearly feel the earth tremble!”</p>
<p>Suki looks incredibly proud as she hears the words, a broad smile spreading over her face. “I told you she was amazing, didn't I?”</p>
<p>He is about to agree when the group in front of them suddenly stops, breaking their conversation. But they find out pretty soon why when they see the long breach in the pass, the cliff divided by a stretch of water.</p>
<p>“Someone must have broken through it to let the ships onto the other side.” Sokka suspects as his sister steps in front of the group with a determined expression.</p>
<p>“All into a line.” She tells the groups as she extends her hands to the water.</p>
<p>With her gentle but strong movements the water splits, flowing up into huge walls as the groups steps into the created rift.</p>
<p>Sokka beams with pride as he watches his sister masterfully bend a path through the ocean for them, slowly making a way for them at the ocean floor.</p>
<p>“Aang. I need some help.” She tells the airbender, who doesn't waste any time to support the waterbender in holding up the wall.</p>
<p>Sokka carefully runs his fingers through the water wall surrounding the group. It’s warmer than it would be at home, not that he would complain about that. </p>
<p>But he has to admit he is a bit nervous to be surrounded by so much water on all sides, especially the more the sun is swallowed in the solid mass of water above them.</p>
<p>Not that he would think his sister would lose control of the bubble protecting them. It's probably just a firebender thing.</p>
<p>The thing is, a giant sea monster attacking them is a pretty good reason for her to lose control.</p>
<p>Toph reacts first, moving the group up on a stone pillar before the creature has another chance to attack. </p>
<p>The animals shadow winds and shifts around their small platform, circling its prey before shooting out of the water with an intimidating cry.</p>
<p>“Now we know why it's called the Serpent’s Pass!” Sokka turns to Suki. “You know about giant angry sea monsters, right? Please do something!”</p>
<p>“Just because I live near the Unagi it doesn't mean I know how to handle these things! We avoid it for a reason!”</p>
<p>The creature rushes in for an attack, but Aang creates a wave of air, throwing the serpent back into the ocean, creating a huge wave of water.</p>
<p>“Katara! Get the others on solid ground while I distract it!” He calls, unfolding his staff as he flies into the air, after the monster.</p>
<p>The waterbender immediately jumps to action, freezing a path to the other side of the canal. She snaps her head to the site as the serpent lets out another scream, jumping onto the water as she freezes a small board around her feet, propelling herself forward to join the battle.</p>
<p>Sokka sprints over the ice bridge with the others, but there is something, or better someone, missing. “Toph! What are you waiting for? We have to get to solid ground before that thing comes back!”</p>
<p>The earthbender doesn't seem that amused by his words, carefully setting her foot down on the ice before snapping it back to the rocky ground, an uncertain look on her face.</p>
<p>“I think I will rather stay up here! I will manage!” She shouts over to them, but even she looks doubtful at her own words.</p>
<p>That is the moment when the serpent’s tail crashes into the ground right beside her, making her jump slightly.</p>
<p>“Okay! Okay! I’m going!” She calls, as she steps onto the frozen pass, slowly moving forwards as Sokka gives her encouraging shouts, giving her a target so she can orient herself.</p>
<p>But of course things never go well for them.</p>
<p>Sokka spots the serpent’s movements from the edge of his attention, but by then it’s already too late. </p>
<p>He charges up a flames in his palm as the creature nears the ice bridge, shooting it with all his power in an attempt to push the animal away, but it just slows the falls down at best.</p>
<p>The ice shatters immediately as the serpent crashes into it, getting swept away by the impact, Toph letting out a shout as the ground disappears from under her feet!”</p>
<p>“Help! I can’t swim!” She shouts, trying to keep herself over the water with panicked splashes.</p>
<p>Sokka throws down his equipment, preparing to jump into the water when Suki takes off before him, jumping into the raging waves before it even calms from the sea monster’s fall.</p>
<p>The firebender feels his heart calm down when he watches Suki get to Toph while Aang and Katara take out the serpent.</p>
<p>As the Kyoshi warrior nears the land he holds out his hands to her, helping her get onto land, letting his inner flames grow as he evaporates the water in the clothing of the two Earth Kingdom girls.</p>
<p>But his panic returns as he turns around to the horrified faces of the refugees.</p>
<p>“You are a firebender!” Ving shouts in panic, pointing at the water tribe boy.</p>
<p>‘Shit! I forgot they were here.’ “No! Wait! I’m not-'' He tries, holding up his hands in defeat, but it only makes the pregnant woman flinch back, protectively holding her belly.</p>
<p>She turns her eyes to Suki and Toph. “You knew about this?! How could you bring a firebender here?! Don't you realize what he is?!”</p>
<p>Sokka sees the anger flare up in Suki’s eyes, how she protectively moves forward to cover Sokka, but he grabs her arm before she can scare the refugees.</p>
<p>“It’s- It’s okay.” the water tribe boy forces out through the piercing pain in his chest. “They have every reason to be scared of me.” </p>
<p>He sees the sadness as the words leave his mouth, opening her mouth to say something when he interrupts her.</p>
<p>“You take care of them.” Sokka tells the Kyoshi warrior, gesturing to the refugees as they create some distance from the firebender. “They can't take care of themselves and if they get hurt this whole detour was for nothing.”</p>
<p>Suki looks a mixture between sad and angry, but agrees with a nod, running after the refugees, Toph slowly walking after her with a furious expression, but seems to stay silent for now.</p>
<p>Sokka waits for the group of Earth Kingdom people to create some distance between them, standing in silence as he tries to calm his inner flames, the waves gently splashing around him.</p>
<p>He starts to move as soon as the others are out of view, his inner flames wild, but somehow he feels colder than even before. Like ice is spreading through his veins.</p>
<p>The firebender lets out an unsteady breath, the thoughts racing in his mind. ‘I know why they react like that. They have every reason to. They don't mean it like that. It’s completely normal. They don't even know you. It’s-’ he lets out a wet sob.</p>
<p>‘What is if dad reacts like this.’ He flinches at his own thought, his inner flame distorting so fast that flames break out from his skin.</p>
<p>He sinks to the ground as his breathing quickes. </p>
<p>It's just all so much. But it was just some words. And he is a warrior. Some words aren't supposed to hurt that much, right?</p>
<p>He tries to calm his inner flames, but the fire just continues to circle around him, flowing out of his body in waves.</p>
<p>‘You can’t- you can't lose control of yourself. The others already have enough problems.’</p>
<p>But even if he tries to force it down, the flames just keep lashing out. And to tells the truth, right now Sokka would just like to do that too. But now is not the time for that. But that still leaves him with the problem of his flames.</p>
<p>‘Last time Koh did… Maybe I could.’</p>
<p>He reaches deep into himself, trying to call up the spirit’s energy resting in his body. ‘Come on. Just like with Flamey.’</p>
<p>The deeper he searches, in that part of his energy he learns to link to Flamey Hot Wing, searching for something that resembles Koh.</p>
<p>And after a surprisingly short time he finds something. </p>
<p>It is so weak it's almost nonexistent, probably no more than from their last meeting, but it is enough to calm his emotions instantly, his mind focused like he wasn't about to completely lose himself just seconds ago.</p>
<p>As he slowly lets go of it, in just small enough amounts to keep control, he tries to get a better feeling for the energy, before slowly it starts to sink back into the depth of his mind.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy lets out a deep breath, looking up into the sky.</p>
<p>‘The other ones probably have enough distance by now, probably even split off with the refugees. I probably should catch up with them before they start to worry.’</p>
<p>With a sigh he starts to walk up the rocky slopes, Ving’s words still stuck in his mind.</p>
<p>‘I just hope they aren't going to tell the city guards about me.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I made the “breakup” really simple. I know. But I really didn't know how to write it and Sokka deserved something good anyway. Just give me this bit of wish fulfillment. And I think Suki is the best and would understand him.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. The Drill</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our group finally reaches the city of Ba Sing Se, but of course things are never as easy as Sokka hopes it to be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>'Of course it's going to be like this! Of course the oh so indestructible wall of Ba Sing Se is about to fall at the exact time when we are arriving so we have to save it. Why am I even surprised at this point. ... Well, at least this is better than Omashu. Maybe we can make a difference this time.'</p>
<p>‘And I didn’t even get to rest. Aang came back from his flight to the wall right when I caught up to the group. I really wished I had more time to say goodbye to Suki.’</p>
<p>Sokka lets his eyes run over the giant drill that is slowly but steadily making its way to the great wall of Ba Sing Se. </p>
<p>He would definitely prefer if it didn't, but nevertheless he can't help but have some respect for the Fire Nation inventor who built it. </p>
<p>'Or maybe this thing was stolen from some guy like from the northern air temple. Wouldn't surprise me at this point.'</p>
<p>After a while of running over the empty stone fields that lay before the walls they finally reach their goal. </p>
<p>The group heaves heavy breaths when they finally reach it, with the exception of Aang. 'Lucky flying bastard. Just you wait! By now I can hover in the air with my flames even without the strong desert sun. I will catch up to you eventually.'</p>
<p>The firebender turns his head upwards to the wall, and he still can't see the peak as it disappears in a cover of clouds.</p>
<p>'But I definitely won't be able to fly over this even with the brightest of suns. How did they even make it that high!?'</p>
<p>Luckily for him, the earthbenders in the group make the climb (if you can even call it that) really easy, lifting a stone platform on the edge of the structure. As they rise up the structure Sokka focuses his attention on the enemies below.</p>
<p>The drill itself doesn't look so weaponized, but that is more than made up by the amount of tanks surrounding it. "The best way to stop it would probably have been to cut off their supply of fuel, but it is probably too late for that now.”</p>
<p>The moment they reach the top of the wall they come face to face with a group of soldiers. </p>
<p>"Stop! What are you doing here! Civilians have no place here!" one of the men demands, pointing his spear at them.</p>
<p>Sokka steps forward with his hands raised. "We don't mean any harm. This is the avatar, and we are here to help you with that drill." The firebender tells them, watching the soldiers visibly relax as he hears the words.</p>
<p>The turn to Aang with a deep bow. "Thank you, avatar. We will bring you to the general immediately." </p>
<p>The gaang follows the man over to one of the watchtowers built on top of the wall. But Sokka is surprised at the willingness of the man to believe them, considering how many fake Aang's they saw in the Full Moon Bay. </p>
<p>'Not that I'm going to complain.’</p>
<p>"General! The avatar wants to meet you!" the soldier announces as he enters the building. The general in question turns around with a calm expression on his face.</p>
<p>"Ah! The avatar! I'm thankful for your offer, but we have everything under control. Just now we sent out a troupe of our best earthbenders to take care of that monstrosity." The man tells them with a smile.</p>
<p>Sokka feels himself stiff at the gesture. That smile reminds him of General Fong a bit too much, and that guy tried to force Aang into the avatar state by nearly drowning his sister in the ground like it was the most normal thing to do. </p>
<p>'Better not take any chances. Let's be on guard for now.'</p>
<p>General Sung turns his attention down to the bottom of the wall again. "Ah, it looks like they are going to make their move right now!" He tells them, and Sokka really hopes his confidence  is well placed.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy follows the man's eyes, spotting the earthbenders in some trench below. He takes out his binoculars from his bag, finding who he believes to be the leader.</p>
<p>All the earthbenders rush forward on moving platforms of rock at his command, splitting up to attack the drill from both sides. </p>
<p>The tanks that guard the giant machine react fast, but the flames are easily blocked by walls before the fire can reach the earthbenders. </p>
<p>Pillars of rock shoot out of the ground, hitting the drill from both sides, and he swears he can  see a self satisfied grins on the earthbenders' faces as they finish the attack, but to the water tribe boy their performance just looked weak.</p>
<p>Granted, his comparison is Toph, and that alone is explanation enough, but the fact that the drill just continues to move forward without any apparent problem even after their attack supports his thesis.</p>
<p>Then Sokka suddenly spots some motion on the side of the drill. 'Did they manage to do some damage on the outer shell after all? Maybe we can-'</p>
<p>The thoughts freeze in his head as he spots the people who come out of the hatch (not damage, of course it wasn’t damage.) </p>
<p>He can almost feel a phantom of the numbness in his arms as soon as he spots that annoyingly happy looking point of pink jump down to the earthbenders, taking out every single one of them with perfectly precise hits.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a tired sigh. "Looks like it's Azula's troup again, and that means the princess isn't far either." He tells his companions. </p>
<p>“We are doomed!” The general shouts out as he spots his motionless elite team. But Sokka doesn’t let the man sink deeper into his panic. He knows from experience that that is never a good idea.</p>
<p>“Get ahold of yourself!” Sokka shouts, slapping the general. “You are the leader here! If you show weakness it will affect all of the soldiers.”</p>
<p>To the firebender’s surprise the man recovers fast, fixing his uniform and putting up a determined face. “You are right. Soldiers! Send out a group to retrieve the earthbenders and prepare for battle!” He shouts, a battle going through the Earth Kingdom’s troops.</p>
<p>He turns to Aang with a pleading look in his eyes, lowering his head into a bow. “Avatar. Would you be willing to help us with this predicament?”</p>
<p>Of course the airbender agrees instantly. ‘Ever the kind soul.’</p>
<p>The group heads to the infirmary where the now immobilized special earthbender troops lie. Katara doesn't waste any time to draw some water out of her water skin, making it emit a gentle blue light as she lowers it to one of the soldier’s arms.</p>
<p>Sokka can immediately see how the patient’s expression relaxes. ‘Well, she probably has more training at this then anyone reasonably should.’</p>
<p>“But we still don't know how to destroy that thing.” Aang notes with a serious expression on his face, his attention shifting to Sokka, the others doing the same.</p>
<p>“Uhm, why are you all looking at me like that?” He asks, his eyes jumping between his companions.</p>
<p>“Well, you are the idea guy, right?” Aang says. </p>
<p>“And the complaining guy.” Katara adds, a slight chuckle in her voice.</p>
<p>“That second part is true, but i would really like some help with the first one, you know? It's a lot of pressure!” He tells them, but his mind is already turning a mile a minute.</p>
<p>‘It would have been good if we could flood the area somehow, but with how dry and elevated this area is, that probably isn't possible. Brute force also doesn't seem to work on the drills heavy armor.’</p>
<p>‘Maybe we could try to destabilize the ground under it? … No, we wouldn't have enough time for that now.’</p>
<p>His eyes fall on the motionless soldier in front of him. “That’s it! It has to be some weak points somewhere hidden in its structures! We just have to find them. So that means we are going to infiltrate it!” He declares.</p>
<p>_______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Looking up at the giant drill from the small trench he is sitting in Sokka has some doubt if his plan was the right way to handle this situation. </p>
<p>‘No. Calm down. You have got this. Only the whole city of Ba Sing Se relies on you.’ </p>
<p>He gives Toph a nod. “Time to begin.” </p>
<p>The girl gives him a grin, jumping out of her cover and onto the ground in front of the Fire Nation machines, the ground cracking as the lands.</p>
<p>She raises her arms into the air, letting her control spread into the earth around her, making it tremble under her power, before throwing up a giant storm of sand covering the entire plain.</p>
<p>“Now! Let's go!” She orders as she begins to sprint through the dust cloud, the rest of the group following right behind her. As they stand right beside the drill she opens up a hole to tunnel under it.</p>
<p>Sokka lights a small flame in his hand as soon as he jumps into the hole she created, illuminating the rocky walls. He can still hear the giant drill scrape over the ground right over his head as Toph tunnels further into the enemies’ lines.</p>
<p>The earthbender opens the tunnel to the surface right under the machine.</p>
<p>Sokka looks around the structure, his eyes locking onto a small opening between the moving parts. “There! An opening!”</p>
<p>Aang runs up to it, locking his legs around one of the pipes as he helps the others get up into the drill, giving Toph a concerned look as she doesn't come to join them.</p>
<p>“Toph! What's wrong?” Sokka calls down to her, sticking his head out of the hatch.</p>
<p>The earthbender gives the metal structure above her a scowl. “No way I’m going into that metal monstrosity. I can’t bend in there. Or see! I will try to slow it down from down here.”</p>
<p>‘That might actually be a good idea. Unlike the previous earthbenders she might actually be able to make a difference.’ “Okay. Good luck. We rely on you.” </p>
<p>As Sokka steps into the hallways of the drill, he instantly realizes that aimlessly walking around here would waste far too much time. More than they have. </p>
<p>“We need to get a map of this place. Some schematics of what the inside looks like.” Sokka looks around, an idea jumping into his mind. </p>
<p>He takes out his club and mashes one of the valves, clouds of steam shooting out of the damaged part.</p>
<p>“What in the spirit's name are you going?! They are going to find us!” </p>
<p>“Well, a machine of this size is bound to have masses of mechanics working to keep it from falling apart. And when something breaks-”</p>
<p>“They will come and fix it! That's amazing Sokka!” Katara tells him.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy looks around all the pipes running along the walls. “We can hide there. Katara, you take care of him.”</p>
<p>It only takes some more seconds for one of the engineers to show up. A bulky man wearing a gas mask. </p>
<p>The poor guy doesn't even know what's happening when the steam around him suddenly constricts around his body, freezing into an icy prison.</p>
<p>“Thanks!” Sokka tells them as he rips a schematic of the place out of the enemy's frozen hand, taking a short look at it to ensure they go the right thing before making their way to a less populated looking area.</p>
<p>When the water tribe boy unfolds the documents he has to hold back his amazement from breaking out. ‘They drill is amazing! I wonder how long this plan was already in development. The materials alone would have taken ages to collect.’</p>
<p>But sadly he doesn't have enough time to fanboy over the machine, but he promises himself to keep the parchment for after they stopped the Fire Nation’s attack.</p>
<p>He unrolls the schematic in front of his companions, pointing at an area of the outer shell.</p>
<p>“Do you see these braces? They seem to be holding this entire thing together. If we manage to break them this entire thing will collapse into itself without us needing to fight our way to the main control center. Where the angry princess probably is right now.”</p>
<p>Aang gives him a determined nod. “Then let's go. We will need all the time we can get.”</p>
<p>Luckily for them, the path to their target is pretty short and uncomplicated, a big surprise considering the rest of this structure.</p>
<p>But there is one big problem when they reach the outer layer.</p>
<p>“It's far bigger than it looks on the schematics. It will be quite a bit of work to cut through that.”</p>
<p>Sokka steps back to give Aang and Katara some room as she pulls out some water, letting it sway back and forth between her and Aang to slowly cut their way through the metal.</p>
<p>‘But this is going so slowly. I should try to help.’</p>
<p>He takes some steps back, takes a run before jumping  to another of the iron braces, igniting flames on his feet and palms to carry him the last of the way, landing on the metal with a heavy thud.</p>
<p>This pillar is as big as the one the others are working on, but he doubts the others are any better, so he goes to work.</p>
<p>He lets his inner flames grow, giving it more and more energy with every breath, letting all the created heat flow into his palm. He mold it into some sort of blade, or maybe it's more of a whip with how long and limber it is.</p>
<p>‘How am I even supposed to make something solid out of flames? Maybe I can ask Flamey next time.’</p>
<p>He swings his fire weapon at the metal structure with all his might, but the attack barely leaves behind any damage, most of the heat just getting absorbed by the iron.</p>
<p>He runs his finger of the miniscule indent, feeling the heat radiate from it.</p>
<p>‘This isn't hot enough. Why did I even think I could melt or shatter it like that? … maybe I could try to transmit the heat directly? No, I can make it hot enough to melt without my own hand burning up. Wait, there is one more thing I could do.’</p>
<p>The water tribe boy places his palm on the structure, letting his inner chi flare once again. </p>
<p>He follows the energy as it spreads into the material, heating it till he can almost see it start to glow, before taking control of all of it and ripping it out of the iron.</p>
<p>A loud crack goes through the pillar as the small part is forced to cool down rapidly, not being able to withstand the sudden change of temperature, small cracks now spreading through the surface.</p>
<p>“Perfect. I just have to continue that all around this thing.” He tells himself, letting out a slightly exhausted breath. Rapidly moving that much heat was harder than expected.</p>
<p>‘Too bad I can't just do it slow.’</p>
<p>But his plan works, and eventually the pillar gives out a metallic screech as it slowly slides off the lower part. He turns his attention over to his companions, the two of them looking like they just finished their work too.</p>
<p>He ignites his flames again to help him jump over to the two, taking in the damage they have done to the structure.</p>
<p>The brace is cleanly cut through, but the two benders don't seem to fare as well, sitting on the ground with evident exhaustion. </p>
<p>“At this rate we won't manage to stop the drill before it reaches the wall.” Katara says, heaving heavy breaths. </p>
<p>“Plus I don't know how many of these things I have in me.” Aang admits, his eyes swaying over the many more pillars lining the rest of the outer shell.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to try to encourage them when a tremble runs through the drill, metal screeching left and right..</p>
<p>Hope fills Sokka’s mind at the sound. “Hey! Do you guys hear that? Looks like we already did quite some damage!”</p>
<p>But before the others can answer the speakers mounted to one of the hallways activates, a man’s voice echoing through the walkways. “Congratulations crew. We have just made contact with the wall of Ba SIng Se. Start the countdown to victory.”</p>
<p>“Oh no. This is bad, really bad.” Katara mumbles.</p>
<p>“But what can we do now? We have already put so much of our time and energy into busting these braces, but it's taking far too long.” Sokka calls over to them desperately as he tries to damage it even more.</p>
<p>But when the firebender turns around he can almost see how an idea plops into Aang’s head, a smile spreading over the boy’s face. </p>
<p>“Maybe we don't need to cut all the way through. Toph has been teaching me that you shouldn't put 100 percent of your energy into a single strike.” The airbender explains.</p>
<p>He turns to Sokka. “Can you go into a fighting stance?” </p>
<p>The firebender does, even if he doesn't really like being used as an example for any technique even remotely linked to Toph. He learned that from experience.</p>
<p>Aang just continues unbothered by his worry. “You have to be quick and accurate, hit a series of points to break your opponent's stance-” he breaks down Sokka’s defence easily.</p>
<p>‘I really have to work on my hand to hand without bending.’</p>
<p>“And when he is reeling back, you deliver the final blow. His own weight becoming his downfall.” the boy finishes, making Sokka tumble to the ground.</p>
<p>‘Rude.’</p>
<p>“So we just need to weaken the braces instead of counting all the way through! Then we will just need one final blow to make this entire thing fall apart.” Katara says with a smile.</p>
<p>“I’ll take care of that.” Aang tells the siblings, a determined look on his face. “All the people inside these walls are counting on us. We can't give up now.”</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a nod, igniting his flames to fly over to the nearest undamaged brace, immediately going to work, breaking the outer parts that are the easiest for him to reach.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till the damage is evident, damaged branches wherever one would look.</p>
<p>Sokka is just jumping down to the others when he suddenly feels a flame ignite to his right. </p>
<p>“Ambush!” He shouts, throwing up a wall of flames just in time to block the blue fireball, the flames scattering each other around the area.</p>
<p>‘Blue. That can only mean-’ He looks up to one of the higher metal beams, spotting some of the people he somehow has learned to dread most. </p>
<p>“Oh come on! Couldn't you have waited for like two more minutes!?” He calls to them, blocking another of Azula’s flames with his own, his fire mixing with her blue one enough so he can take control of it, shooting it back at the attackers.</p>
<p>But of course it's just blocked by the fire princess, a scowl on her face. Ty Lee on the other hand doesn't seem to be that annoyed by their presence.</p>
<p>“You were right Azula! It is the avatar!” Suddenly her eyes focus on Sokka, a dangerous and interested glint in her eyes. “And friends.”</p>
<p>“Not interested!” Sokka tells her, letting his inner flames grow as he throws up his arms, creating a wall of glowing hot fire to cover his group as they run into the drill’s hallways, Azula’s face taking on a genuinely surprised look that almost looks foreign on her face.</p>
<p>“You guys get out of here! I know what I need to do!” Aang tells them, already hearing the steps of the Fire Nation girls behind them.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Katara calls, taking off her waterskin and throwing it to Aang. “You need this more than I do.” Before giving him one more encouraging nod as they split of to run in different directions.</p>
<p>As the siblings  spring through the hallway it doesn't take long till Sokka can hear steps approaching them from behind, a metallic whistling going through the air.</p>
<p>He turns around just in time to let out a blast of flames to block the knives flying at them, the blades flying against the walls with a loud clang.</p>
<p>“Katara! You try to find a way out! I will keep them off our trail!” He tells his sister, the waterbender giving him a nod as she runs ahead.</p>
<p>‘It's not like she can really help after giving her water to Aang.’</p>
<p>The Fire Nation girls draw near as Sokka goes into a fighting position, igniting a flame in his palm as the heat rises up in his body.</p>
<p>With a flick of her wrist Mai sends another volley of knives flying through the corridor, even faster than the last attack, but from that distance not fast enough.</p>
<p>The heat spills from the firebender’s body, flames flying through the hallway and stopping the blades in their movement, the blast of heat letting them fly against the wall.</p>
<p>But that alone won't be enough to stop their enemies, the girls already falling into a sprint again, Mai drawing another blade from her seemingly infinite storage. </p>
<p>But Sokka won't make it that easy for them, grabbing a hold of the heat still filling the corridors, strengthening it even more as he shoves it into the pipes covering the walls of the structure.</p>
<p>The pipes let out loud creaks as the water in them expands rapidly, cracks spreading through the metal, finally giving out with a loud bang, hot steam flooding the room.</p>
<p>Sokka is thrown back by the blast, his ears ringing from the pressure, but he manages to fight himself up from the ground, raising his eyes to the devastated hallway in front of him, broken metal and boiling hot clouds completely blocking off the other side.</p>
<p>‘That should be enough to hold them off for a while.’</p>
<p>He turns around and runs after his sister, using his flames to purple himself forward to catch up to her.</p>
<p>“Sorry! I didn't find a way out yet.” She tells him, but he can't really be angry with her. He has seen how complex this structure is.</p>
<p>The two continue to run along the halls, searching for a way out, but it doesn't take long till the siblings run into a dead end, that is what Sokka assumes until he spots the sign marking this as the slurry pipeline.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy has to use all his power to open the hatches, it letting out a shrill squeaking as it opens. </p>
<p>‘I really have to do more muscle training. I won't always be able to rely on my bending. Zuko really had the right idea with that one … Why do I keep thinking about that jerk?!’ </p>
<p>He shakes his head to get the thought out of his mind, turning to his sister. “This stuff is the rock of the wall mixed together with water. If we go in here we can probably get out of here without meeting any people.”</p>
<p>His sister gives him a disgusted look, but then the two hear the echoing of steps approaching from down the hallway. As a very familiar duo runs around the corner, a volley of knives immediately flies to them.</p>
<p>Sokka immediately releases a wave of flames to slow his enemies down before jumping into the sludge canal right behind Katara.</p>
<p>Luckily for them the ride in the disgusting mud pipe line is pretty short, getting washed out of the back of the drill in only a moment, falling into the muddy ground below.</p>
<p>“We made it!” Sokka calls to his sister, trying to get the mud of his clothing but nearly slipping while doing so.</p>
<p>But his happy demeanor falls instantly as soon as he spots a pink clothed someone sliding down the mud slide.</p>
<p>“Katara! They followed us!” He calls to his sister, already igniting a flames in his palm to attack the acrobat, but his sister reacts faster, taking control of the mud and forcing it back up the slurry pipe, stopping the Fire Nation girl’s advance.</p>
<p>“Good idea! If you keep that up the pipes will be so overfilled that they will pretty much pop as soon as Aang gives it the last hit!” He calls to his sister, walking through the mud to stand by the waterbender’s side.</p>
<p>The waterbender keeps holding up the torrent of mud, but to Sokka’s worry there is no sign of Aang doing anything. ‘But there also aren't any reinforcements coming.’</p>
<p>Now the problem is that he doesn't know if Katara will manage to hold back all these masses of water much longer. He can already see her struggling to keep up.</p>
<p>“You can do it Katara! Keep going!” He tries to cheer her on, but she only seems to be annoyed by it, throwing up a small wave of mud to push him away.</p>
<p>“Just let me concentrate on this, Sokka!” She shouts, taking up a stable stance despite the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.</p>
<p>Thankfully, that is the moment when help arrives. </p>
<p>“Toph!” Sokka shouts as he sees the earthbender appear in the distance. “We need your help! We have to clog up the drill’s waste disposal so Aang can smash this entire thing with one hit!”</p>
<p>The girl gives him a grin. “Breaking this entire thing that the Fire Nation probably spent ages building? I’m in!” She calls, stomping on the ground as she lifts the mud collected in the area to the outlet of the slurry pipeline.</p>
<p>With her help all the mud flows back into the system in seconds, and Sokka can swear he already hears it cracking before a strong wave of air rushes over them, the drill collapsing to the ground while the mud gushes out of every of it’s openings.</p>
<p>“Hold tight!” Toph calls, raising the ground they are standing on to avoid the waves of slurry rushing to them as Sokka releases a victory d´shout.</p>
<p>“We did it! We stopped this giant thing!” Katara sends him a glare. “Okay. You stopped this giant thing. But I helped too! I also broke some of the pillars inside!”</p>
<p>At that she relents, turning her attention to the front of the drill. “Let's get out of here and up the wall before they get any reinforcements. I doubt this is enough to stop the crazy princess.”</p>
<p>And Sokka can't agree more, hurrying after his two companions as they sprint back to the wall through the mud as the exhaustion catches up on them, but the good feeling of a well earned victory.</p>
<p>‘I just really hope they have a bath we can use before we go into Ba Sing Se.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To bad I didn't get to the Zukka parts till valentines day. I’m actually not that happy with how this turned out. The things just didn't seem interesting. But rewriting it didn't help either. I hope you still like it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. City of Walls and Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The gaang has finally managed to reach Ba Sing Se, but things are not what they seem.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka lets out a yawn, stretching his arms over his head as he looks out of the window of the train they are in. </p>
<p>He is honestly amazed how the people of Ba Sing Se use their earthbending for public transportation, and would really like to know more about it, but right now he is just really exhausted from the whole drill event just some hours ago.</p>
<p>At least his clothing is finally clean again, but that is thanks to Katara’s waterbending and not some relaxing bath. </p>
<p>‘Well, I get why we have to hurry, but it's still pretty exhausting.’</p>
<p>He lets his tired eyes drift over the giant wheat fields running past them. ‘We never had this much food in the south. Not that we could ever plant crops like this in our climate and the fact that we don't even have the earth to plant them in.’</p>
<p>Katara’s voice drags him out of his thoughts. “Look over there! It’s the inner wall of Ba Sing Se! We have finally managed to reach it.”</p>
<p>“Don't jinx it!” Sokka calls over to her. “We never know what is going to happen. The city could be flooded with spider monkeys or attacked by evil spirits!” </p>
<p>Toph just gives him a look. “Seriously?”</p>
<p>“We never know!” the firebender counters. “Weird stuff tends to happen to us! On a daily basis even.”</p>
<p>Katara just lets out a small laugh, shaking her head, before shifting her attention over to Aang. “Don't worry. We will find Appa in no time.”</p>
<p>The boy looks a bit doubtful, so Sokka tries to support his sister. “I mean, how would you even try to hide a giant, flying bison.” He tells the airbender with a smile as they pass through an opening in the wall.</p>
<p>But the grin leaves his face immediately as he sees the city appears once they come out of the tunnel, stretching as far as he can see, people walking over the paths below. </p>
<p>It doesn't take much longer till they come to halt in a train station, people walking in and out of the vehicle all around them.</p>
<p>‘This  will probably be a bit harder than we thought. No, don't think that. With the help of the Earth King we will be able to find him in no time.’ </p>
<p>“And at least this time we are pretty safe while we are in the walls. Maybe we can actually relax for one.” He mumbles.</p>
<p>But Toph doesn't seem to have the same opinion, jabbing her elbow into his side in an annoyed fashion. “Yeah. Walls and rules everywhere. You will learn to hate it in no time. Trust me.”</p>
<p>Sokka just shrugs. He knows how much Toph hates it to follow rules, so this isn't really a surprise. But he will keep it in mind.</p>
<p>Suddenly a cold shower runs down his back, feeling someone stare at his back. He snaps around to spot a creepily smiling woman on the other side of the track, approaching their group without even a change in her demeanor.</p>
<p>“Hello. Welcome in Ba Sing Se. My name is Ju Dee and I will be your guide here. I welcome you to our wonderful city.” She introduces herself with that creepy, forced looking grin.</p>
<p>The others seem to be unsettled by it too, but for Sokka it is even worse. ‘Why does she feel so weird?! It definitely isn't from a spirit, that much I’m sure of, it doesn't feel pure enough for that. But what in the spirit’s name is wrong with her?!’</p>
<p>He takes a deep breath to calm himself.</p>
<p>‘No Sokka. No time to be creeped out right now. Don’t forget why we are here.’</p>
<p>The firebender steps in front of the woman. “Good. Because we have some really important information about the Fire Nation army that we need to get to the Earth King immediately.”</p>
<p>But she just ignores him, that creepy smile never leaving her face. “Great! Let's begin our tour, and then I will show you your new home here. I think you will love it.”</p>
<p>“What? No! Maybe you didn't listen to what I said just now. We need to talk to the King right now. It needs to be as fast as possible so he has time to work with the information.”</p>
<p>But once again she just keeps her eyes level and the smile in place. “You are in Ba Sing Se now. Everyone is safe here. There is no war in Ba Sing Se.” </p>
<p>A shower runs down Sokka’s back, suddenly feeling like the creepy energy around her body flares. He is too shocked to answer her when she tells them to go to the carriage to start the tour around the city.</p>
<p>But Toph picks up on his shock easily, being able to hear his quickened heartbeat thought the earth.</p>
<p>“You okay there?” She asks him, a hint of worry in her voice that almost feels foreign in it with how often she uses it.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah. I’m okay.” He tells her, but with her lie detection (And was that a shock to find out) she picks up on him immediately, giving him an encouraging push with her elbow. </p>
<p>“I will tell you about it later.” he promises, and that seems to be enough to get her off his back for now, and with a heavy heart and his eyes focused on Ju Dee, he steps into the carriage.</p>
<p>________________</p>
<p>The tour through the city didn't help his suspicions at all. Quite the opposite in fact.</p>
<p>The more he watches the people, especially Ju Dee, act and react to each other, the more the worry rises in his body. And he doesn't seem to be the only one.</p>
<p>Toph is sitting on a pillow beside him in the house given to them by … now that he thinks about it, he doesn't even know who was responsible for that. As far as he is aware the King doesn't know of them.</p>
<p>As Sokka turns to the earthbender beside him he can spot a scowl on her face that he is sure he would find on his face too if he were to look in a mirror.</p>
<p>“So, how much of the things the people told us was actually the truth?” He asks, and her expression turns even worse.</p>
<p>“How much do you think?” She asks, and that pretty much answers his question, but her expression suddenly turns a bit confused. “But for some reason that annoying guide didn't feel like she lied at all. It doesn't even make any sense!”</p>
<p>Sokka lets himself drop to the ground. ‘She is right. That doesn't make any sense.’ “Did the guys we asked about Appa at least tell the truth?”</p>
<p>“Well, about the not knowing about a flying bison part at least. But there definitely is a black market somewhere around here.”</p>
<p>The firebender lets out another sigh. “But they won't tell us anything while that creepy Ju Dee is hanging around us. Did you see what she did every time we were about to get some information out of the people we asked?”</p>
<p>Toph gives him a deadpan look waving her hand in front of her eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh, right. Sorry.”</p>
<p>She lets out a small laugh. “But yeah, I know what you mean. The heart rate of everyone spiked at the moment she did. They were afraid. Terrified even.”</p>
<p>“Just like that old man Pao from the other side of the street. And what about this ‘Don't talk about the war’ thing going on here?! Aaarg! This is so infuriating!”</p>
<p>A knock on the door interrupts their conversation, all heads turning to the sound.</p>
<p>Sokka stands up to open it, but readies his inner flame to attack at a moment's notice. </p>
<p>He doubts people would attack the avatar in the open, but this whole damn city is starting to make him so nervous that he will take care anyway.</p>
<p>The open door reveals a man carrying some bags. </p>
<p>“The dinner for the avatar, like promised. Just leave the leftovers in the trash area, it will be disposed of later.” The deliverer tells them, placing mountains of food on the doorstep with a smile on his face, but this one looks more genuine in comparison to what they recently came in contact with.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Sokka simply tells him, but the water tribe boy’s eyes are focused on the carriage back on the street, or more specifically the Dai Lee agent standing beside it.</p>
<p>He doesn't know much about them, the only information they receive being that what Ju Dee told them, and he isn't going to believe anything she says at this point.</p>
<p>He closes the door with a heavy thud, taking a look at the mountains of food. ‘The people in the lowest ring didn't look like they had nearly enough to eat, and here they just throw away food.’</p>
<p>The mere thought is wrong to him, having grown up in the cold plains of the south where nothing is wasted on principle, no matter how useless it looks.</p>
<p>‘There is seriously something wrong with this place.’</p>
<p>By now the group has gathered on the table and is starting to unpack the food, inspecting what they have been given with critical eyes.</p>
<p>Aang gives it a small sigh at what he finds, most stuff full of expensive looking meat. Sokka knows how unusual Aang’s preference for food is in most of the current cultures, but they also didn't ask about allergies, so it doesn't excuse anything.</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure we can tell them to bring something different tomorrow.” Sokka tries to encourage the boy, sliding over one bowl of food that he managed to pick out all the meat of.</p>
<p>The boy gives him a nod as thanks, but doesn’t say anything else. Sokka knows he is still down from not finding Appa yet. And understandably so.</p>
<p>The firebender too expected things to become incredibly simple once they reached Ba Sing Se. That they just cloud walk up to the Earth King that would be the last piece to the puzzle to solve all their current problems.</p>
<p>But no, of course it's never that easy. Sometimes he starts to think the spirits are going against them. (He has to ask Flamey about that next time.)</p>
<p>Shortly after that the group goes to bed, the day’s events catching up to the members of the group.</p>
<p>Even if Sokka feels kind of uncomfortable here, the exhaustion forces him into a deep slumber anyway.</p>
<p>_____________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next morning starts as normal as it could be, considering the circumstances. But shortly after waking to the rise of the sun Sokka realizes one problem.</p>
<p>“I cant do my firebending training here.” He mumbles in slight shock.</p>
<p>He is already standing outside their current house, in the small garden attached to it, but nowhere near hidden enough to actually conceal his bending.</p>
<p>And even if ‘There is no war in Ba Sing Se’ he is pretty sure the authorities won't take a firebender in their city lightly.</p>
<p>He lets out a tired sigh as he steps into the building again, igniting a small candle in a corner that he is sure isn't visible from any of the windows, and begins to meditate.</p>
<p>The flame grows and shrinks with his breath like it's supposed too, but with only these little flames his meditation just feels incomplete. Unsatisfying. </p>
<p>He thinks about trying to meet Flamey again, but he knows how nervous the airbender is about him doing that, so he won't be doing that, for now.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy is deep in his meditation when suddenly a call of his sister's voice breaks his trance, the candle in front of him going out. “I know how we are gonna see the Earth King!” </p>
<p>Sokka opens his eyes to give her a questioning glance. “The king is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear.” </p>
<p>‘Maybe things will turn our way after all.’</p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p>‘When I learn to just shut my mouth. Is this my fault? This time it at least doesn't feel like it.’ He struggles against the stone holding his wrists together, concentrating on holding back the flames that threaten to break out from his skin, wild from his anger.</p>
<p>But he manages to control himself, if only just because he knows that things will turn even worse if he resists the Dai Lee agent that jumped him just before he could reach the Earth King.</p>
<p>The firebender turns to the side to spot Aang in a similar position, Toph beside him and beside her Katara, even if he is pretty sure that the two earthbenders could break out of the hold easily.</p>
<p>‘I mean, Katara and I could too, but it wouldn't be as clean.’ After all, the stone might be relatively fire resistant, but the person controlling it isn't. He already charges up a blast, just to be safe, even if he doesn't really expect them to attack the avatar.</p>
<p>They are brought to a room, a library maybe, at the side of the hall that the festivities take place in, coming face to face with Long Feng (if Sokka remembers right) sitting in front of a green fire.</p>
<p>Weirdly enough the different colored fire isn't even the most absurd thing happening to him recently.</p>
<p>The Earth Kingdom official gives off a cold and calculated aura, sitting at the fireplace with a casual expression like this was something like a tea party.</p>
<p>“Why won't you let us talk to the Earth King?! We have information that could defeat the Fire Nation!” Sokka tells him, feeling his anger slip into his words. </p>
<p>“The Earth Kind doesn't have the time to get involved in political squabbles and the day to day minutia of military activities.” Long Feng simply tells the group, no waver in his voice or change in his expression, like he has studied this line thousands of times.</p>
<p>Aang is understandably upset by the answer. “This could be the most important thing he has ever heard!”</p>
<p>“What’s most important to his majesty is maintaining the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It’s my job to oversee the rest of the city’s resources, including the military.”</p>
<p>Katara takes in a sharp breath. “So the King is nothing more than a figurehead.” </p>
<p>“He is nothing more your puppet!” Toph shouts, sounding angrier than he heard in a long time.</p>
<p>‘Well, it is the king of her country after all. She has personal involvement with this.’</p>
<p>“Oh no, of course not.” He tells them, but Sokka is sure Toph could tell him with certainty that this is a complete lie. “His majesty is an icon, a god to his people. He cant sully his hands with the hourly changes of an endless war.”</p>
<p>At this point Sokka can't hold back anymore. “But we found out about a solar eclipse that will leave the Fire Nation defenceless! You could lead an invasion that-”</p>
<p>“Enough!” Long Feng interrupts him. “I don't want to hear your ridiculous plan. It is the strict policy of Ba Sing Se that the war is not to be mentioned within the walls. Constant news of an unending war will only throw the citizens into a state of panik.” He tells them, as one of his hands balls into a fist.</p>
<p>“Our economy would be ruined, our peaceful way of life would disappear together with our traditions. We-”</p>
<p>“But your safety and traditions already are about to disappear if you don't do anything!” Sokka falls into his speech, no longer able to hold back his anger.</p>
<p>“If it wasn't for us your oh so safe wall would have been broken through yesterday! You lost your privilege of safely sitting behind your wall the moment the Fire Nation learned how to break through them!”</p>
<p>“You impudent child!” Long Feng shouts to him. “That one time was a slip up that won't happen again. In silencing the conflict Ba Sing Se will remain a peaceful, orderly utopia. The last on this earth.”</p>
<p>“But this already was the second time someone broke through your walls! The Dragon of the West concerned them once before! And the troops of the Fire Nation are even stronger now than they used to be!” Sokka tells the man.</p>
<p>Katara steps forward to her brother’s side. “You can't keep the truth from all these people. They deserve to know!”</p>
<p>“I’ll tell them! I’ll make sure everyone knows!” Aang threatens, causing Long Feng’s face to darken.</p>
<p>“Until now you have been treated as honored guests, but from now you will be watched every moment by the Dai Lee agents. If you mention the war to anyone, you will be expelled from the city.”</p>
<p>An evil looking grin stretches over his face. “I understand you have been looking for your bison. It would be quite a shame if you couldn't manage to complete your quest.</p>
<p>These words shut up the group, but Sokka grinds his teeth in anger. </p>
<p>He has so many more things to tell this idiot in front of him, reason why they definitely should not just sit behind their walls like cowards, but he can't risk getting them thrown out of the city.</p>
<p>“Well then.” Long Fend says, gathering their attention again. “Now Joo Dee will show you home.” He tells them as the door to the room opens.</p>
<p>At first Sokka doesn't even look at her, the energy she gives off being the exact same as before, but when he feels the flinch from his companions he does anyway.</p>
<p>The firebender looks up at the woman's face, who is definitely not the same guide they had before, but someone in the exact same dress, the same creepy aura and smile.</p>
<p>“Come with me please.” She simply tells the group.</p>
<p>“What happened to Joo Dee?” Katara asks, a slight crack in her voice, speaking the thoughts of all of them.</p>
<p>“I’m Joo Dee.” The woman tells them without a pause, not even a bit of hesitation in her voice. “And I’ll be your host as long as you are in our wonderful city.” She finishes with giving them one of those creepy grins, sending another shower down Sokka’s spine.</p>
<p>‘What in the spirit's name is wrong with this place.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not much to say about this one, but I hope you still like it! And now finally Zuko and Sokka are at least in the same city.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. The Tales of Ba Sing Se</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the gaang spends their time in Ba Sing Se, trying to get any lead on Appa’s location, Sokka stumbles onto something he never would have expected.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is walking around the less populated areas on the edge between the middle and lower rings of Ba Sing Se.</p>
<p>He and the others have been looking around every part of the city since they have been thrown out of the palace yesterday, trying to pick up on anything that could lead them to Appa. </p>
<p>But right now, Sokka has another goal.</p>
<p>He stretches his arms as the strong sun shines down on him, trying to ignore the fire that flows under his skin, urging the teen to finally let it out.</p>
<p>But it's not like he can just do that around here, or at the house they are currently staying at. </p>
<p>The firebender is sure he has seen shadows lurk on the roofs near to them, always feeling eyes on his back no matter where he goes.</p>
<p>Even now he can feel it.</p>
<p>‘I wish I could just bend like the others without any risks of how the people will react. But no, my bending has to be the one that is feared by all of our allies. If we can even call the people around here that.’</p>
<p>He looks down the streets again, looking for anything that could give him enough cover to lose the probably Dai Lee agent in. And luckily for him, he finds his chance surprisingly soon, a small market of houses linked to each other, giving him multiple exits to get out of.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy slips in immediately, walking to the corner farthest from the entrance, hidden behind a rack of cloth, before taking out the Earth Kingdom style cloak and scarf from his backpack.</p>
<p>The teen throws on the outfit, hiding everything that could help his pursuer to identify him, and hurrying out of the shop before the agent could think about following in after him.</p>
<p>When he is down a handful of streets, still not feeling any eyes on him, he lets out a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>‘Finally! I hope I find a better way to do this soon.’</p>
<p>With an energetic step he turns to his real target of this trip, a small park area between the two rings that probably used to be some kind of factory once.</p>
<p>Why is it out of use now? The firebender doesn't know, but he isn't going to complain about having a place to firebend without being seen.</p>
<p>To find this place took quite some work. </p>
<p>Under the guise of finding Appa (at least to that Ju Dee, if that even is her real name, the others of course know) he searched through the maps of the city, finally finding this place.</p>
<p>‘It's probably the only place in the city where I could firebend without being seen.’</p>
<p>He steps through the dense trees that outline the area, jumping over an old, overgrown wall and walking into one of the nearby buildings, igniting a small wisp in his palm to illuminate the dark room.</p>
<p>‘Doesn't look like it will collapse over my head even if I throw some flames around. And also no windows that could let out the lights of my flames.’</p>
<p>He lets the small flames drift into the room, levitating around on the ceiling, creating others to join them, illuminating the room in a gentle red light.</p>
<p>The firebender gives his handiwork a satisfied look. He has been training to control his flames even if they are further away from his body, having seen Flamey do the same. And now he is slowly getting a hang out of it.</p>
<p>He sits down in the center of the room, calling out to his flames to make them circle his body. As much as he would love to sit in the sunlight while doing his meditating, he should not take any risks right now. </p>
<p>A mistake from him might even draw problems to the rest of his friends.</p>
<p>He calms his emotions as he reaches out to the small flicker of energy hidden in his flames, and starts to feel how he drops away, falling into the spirit world.</p>
<p>It’s still an uncomfortable feeling for him, but he calms down as soon as the gentle rays of the sun, or at least the spirit worlds equivalent for it, kindly warms his skin, already causing a small flicker of flames to jump from his body, accompanied by many more.</p>
<p>The teen lets out a relaxed sigh as the pressure of the flames that had built up inside his body subside, letting him relax as if he was taking a warm bath.</p>
<p>A very familiar weight lands on his shoulder letting out a slightly worried chirp. </p>
<p>“I’m okay Flamey. I just wasn't able to let out my flames for a while, but it's okay now.” He ensures the spirit, feeling it relax instantly.</p>
<p>“Well then master Hot Wing, how about another lesson? We hadn't had much time for it recently.” He asks the spirit, it giving him a deadpan look at the name.</p>
<p>“Come on! I know you like it!” He calls, sending over a small wave of flames to the bird, the sparks of the different flames playfully mixing with each other.</p>
<p>Flamey gives him a small nod, spreading its wings as it rises into the air.</p>
<p>Sokka takes in a deep breath as he collects his mind, letting it mix with his flames as he releases it, a small burning breath escaping his mouth.</p>
<p>The air around him is just swelling with energy, like probably everything in the spirit world, giving him more strength than ten desert suns would, something he might never find in his own world.</p>
<p>And Flamey taught him how to use it.</p>
<p>Sokka lets the flames flow out of his legs, rising into the air to fly beside his spirit  teacher, looking down on the beautiful, endless orange forest below him.</p>
<p>Like this, flying in the warm winds of the forest, he almost feels like he could touch the sun, all its warms flowing through him like a piece of it rests within his body.</p>
<p>The more he trains to fight in the air the more he understands why Aang likes it so much. He really wishes he could fly like this outside the spirit world, but until he manages to train his inner flames more, he won't be able to come even close.</p>
<p>‘Well, I kinda managed it for a short time while I was in the spirit library under the desert sun. Even if I’m not that sure how I managed to do that. Probably because of the spirit energy there.’</p>
<p>He shoots a fireball into the sky, letting it fly over the forest. </p>
<p>At first he had problems with keeping his balance while also staying in the air at the same time, but he is starting to really get the hang of it, doing a backflip in the air while sending out a circle of flames around him, using the momentum to switch to his next technique.</p>
<p>When he is finished with his forms he slowly drifts to the ground again, sitting down on the warm ground to meditate, taking in the energy around him and fueling it into his flame.</p>
<p>Flamey taught him that it would help to strengthen his inner flame, and slowly he has started to feel a difference.</p>
<p>He can keep his flame going for longer, make it burn hotter and stronger. Now he just has to train his control to keep up with it.</p>
<p>His concentration is deep, losing himself in time till Flamey drags him out of it, urging him to leave the spirit world for now.</p>
<p>With a flap of the spirit’s wings flames rise around the firebender, starting his way back to his body.</p>
<p>At this point he isn't able to go back on his own, but he feels like he is getting close. ‘Maybe I will try to next time.’ </p>
<p>As the wall of flames falls again he finds himself back in the old factory.</p>
<p>Sokka stretches his arms as he stands up from the ground, his arm making a satisfying pop.</p>
<p>As he walks out into the afternoon sun he pulls up his cloak again, covering his face as he heads down the shopping street.</p>
<p>With another look over his shoulder and down the street, searching for any Dai Lee agents, he slips into a small food store at the side. </p>
<p>It's pretty empty except for some old ladies, none of them paying him much attention, talking to the equally old shopkeeper in a friendly voice.</p>
<p>Sokka pulls down his cloak and stuffs it into his backpack, taking a look over the shelves in front of him, the wares actually looking quite interesting to him.</p>
<p>‘They still don’t bring food Aang likes. But now probably not because they don't know but because they are assholes.’ </p>
<p>He pulls out one of the crackers and small cakes in front of him, made from nuts if he sees right. ‘Aang liked them on the travels. It can't be that out of place.’</p>
<p>When he finally exits the small shop his backpack is far heavier and his coin purse far lighter, shutting the door with one last goodbye to the smiling shopkeeper. </p>
<p>‘Maybe I brought a bit too much. Oh well, I like shopping and we got a bit of money together with the food, so it shouldn't be a problem.’</p>
<p>The old woman sold many things that are pretty unusual for the area, telling him that they are old recipes that have been handed down to her from her grandmother.</p>
<p>‘She looked really happy to have someone to tell about them.’</p>
<p>He walked down the street with a satisfied smile on his face, but after only a handful of minutes of walking back to his home he can already feel someone's eyes on him again.</p>
<p>Snapping his head around to the source his eyes land on a Dai Lee agent, the man hurrying back into an alley, seemingly surprised to have been found.</p>
<p>‘Well, with this one on my trail I won't be able to find any kind of black market anyway. Looks like searching Appa will have to be a job for tomorrow.’ So he starts to make his way back to their group's house in the upper ring.</p>
<p>And while he really enjoys the warm sun on the way back, he can't help but release a relieved sigh once he is out of the open streets and the eyes of the Dai Lee.</p>
<p>“Welcome back.” Katara calls from the other side of the room, Aang sitting beside her and playing with Momo. “Did you find anything?” She asks, hinting to Appa.</p>
<p>“Sadly no information, but I found something else you might like.” he says as he turns to Aang, pulling out one of the cakes from his backpack.</p>
<p>Aang lights up as soon as he spots the food in the firebender’s hand. </p>
<p>“Oh. I haven't seen this since ages!” he calls immediately swallowing the cake whole. </p>
<p>Sokka laughs at the image. ‘I guess it was a really good idea.’ </p>
<p>He pulls down his backpack and places it down beside the airbender. “I also got some other things. That one old lady in the lower things sold all kinds of food I didn't see before. I can show you where the shop is if you want.”</p>
<p>Aang face lights even more. “Thank you! Of course I want to!” He calls, putting another thing into his mouth that Sokka doesn't have a name for.</p>
<p>The firebender spends the rest of the day training with his weapons, not really having anything better to do.</p>
<p>He can feel eyes on him the entire time while he swings his weapons in the backyard, making him happy that he already finished his firebending training for today.</p>
<p>But without a real goal, he feels himself getting bored. ‘I can't just sit around the entire day.’ He thinks as he stretches his tired muscles. ‘I really did neglect my other training since I started firebending.’</p>
<p>‘Maybe I should try to search the streets for anything suspicious once it's dark out. I doubt they would illegally trade animals during the open daylight.’</p>
<p>He walks back into the house to change out of his sweaty cloth, taking back his now empty backpack, all the food previously filling it now spread over the table in front of a really happy looking Aang.</p>
<p>“I’m going out again!” Sokka announces, gaining the airbender attention.</p>
<p>“I’ll come too! Can you show me where the shop is?” He asks with stars in his eyes. </p>
<p>“Of course. I planned to search the lower ring  anyway.” He tells the younger boy, getting a smile in return.</p>
<p>I don't take much longer till the two boys walk down the streets of the lower district, Aang having two empty bags thrown over his shoulder as he scans the streets for the shop with obvious enthusiasm.</p>
<p>The roads are still filled with people despite the time, and weirdly none of them give Aang a second look.</p>
<p>‘They probably think it's a costume. You can't really judge them considering what we saw at Full Moon Bay.’</p>
<p>Aang lets his eyes drift over the people. “I wonder how many of them are refugees.” the boy mumbles, probably not even planning on being heard.</p>
<p>“And soon we will find a way to keep them all safe.” Sokka tells him in an attempt to cheer up the airbender. “Once we find Appa we can go to the Earth King without any worry, no matter what Long Feng tries to stop us.”</p>
<p>That brings the smile back onto Aang's face, the airbender giving him a determined nod.</p>
<p>Sokka turns his attention to the front again, spotting the shop a bit further down the street.</p>
<p>“Ah, look! There it is!” The water tribe boy points towards it, and his companion doesn't even wait for him as he falls into a sprint, running into the door at full speed.</p>
<p>‘I hope he didn't give the old lady a heart attack.’ </p>
<p>By the time he reaches the shop the shopkeeper and Aang are caught up in a deep conversation, the happiness just flowing out of the two of them.</p>
<p>The firebender lets out a small chuckle, walking up to his companion as he gives him a bunch of the money they got together with the food when it was first delivered. Probably more than he should, but he just can’t resist the puppy eyes Aang is making right now.</p>
<p>The boy looks up at the teen with a slightly confused expression.</p>
<p>“Don't waste it all at once.” Sokka tells the airbender. “I will look around a bit more. It might be dark when I get back, so you don't have to wait for me. You just have a bit of fun.” He finishes with a kind smile.</p>
<p>Aang gives him an enthusiastic nod, like the child he recently had not had the chance to be, before tuning his attention back to the lady in front of him, falling into the conversation again.</p>
<p>Sokka steps out of the shop again, and as he walks away he feels how the eyes of their pursuer disappear.</p>
<p>‘Maybe the Dai Lee only sent one guy to follow us because they didn't expect us to split up. If that's the case, then they would of course decide to follow Aang. I'm pretty unimportant compared to him after all.’</p>
<p>‘Would they act the same if they knew I’m a firebender? Probably not.’</p>
<p>He slips into a small clothing store at the side of the street, grabbing two more coats he finds for a cheap price, putting one on immediately.</p>
<p>‘It's never bad to have multiple disguises, right?’ And that definitely is not an excuse to buy more stuff.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a yawn as the sun begins to sink under the horizon, but he continues through it anyway, keeping his eyes and ears open as he walks through the streets.</p>
<p>He spots many suspicious looking groups of people as he walks through the narrow streets of the lower ring, even sneakily following some of them around, but he doesn't find anything that helps him in his search for Appa.</p>
<p>(But trying to keep them in mind anyway can't be a bad idea, right?)</p>
<p>He clutches his weapon under his cloak as another group of armed people passes him, the two parties giving each other a threatening glare.</p>
<p>Sokka would like to think he could take them out easily, but he's not that sure about that considering the fact that he would have to do it without using his bending.</p>
<p>‘Plus the fact that even with my bending, it is in the middle of the night, so my fire wouldn't be as strong anyway.’ But that thought gives him an idea.</p>
<p>‘I have been thinking about training my firebending during the night for a while. I can't continue being so much weaker as soon as the sun goes down. Azula managed to be close to full power during the night, so it should be possible.’</p>
<p>He looks around again. It doesn't feel like there are any people following him, but he still takes a confusing path to the abandoned factory he trained in before, but he reaches it eventually.</p>
<p>The firebender is already tired when he steps through the trees, slowly approaching the factory. ‘There has to be a trick to this, right? Or is it just a training thing?’</p>
<p>He is deep in thought when he steps through the door of the factory, only looking up when there suddenly is an orange flash coming from the other side of the room.</p>
<p>The burst of light disappears before he can focus on the other person, only seeing an outline of their body.</p>
<p>Panic flows through Sokka as he begins to sprint to them, trying to catch them off guard, but the other person turns around to the sound (he thinks, it's hard to see) before running off in the other direction.</p>
<p>Sokka ignites a flames in his hand, now that he has been found out he can at least see where he is running, but at the same time the other creates a wall of flames to cut off his pursuer.</p>
<p>The flames rise to the ceiling instantly, but the short moment before it hides the person it gives Sokka just enough time to see their distinctively Earth Kingdom outfit.</p>
<p>Sokka dispels the wall with a wave of his hand as soon as he gets close, but by that time the person has already disappeared through the building's back entrance and into the forest.</p>
<p>The water trieb boy lets himself drop to the ground.</p>
<p>“The Fire Nation is already in the city.” He mumbles, trying to catch his breath as dread fills his mind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think you can already guess who Sokka saw in that building. Oh well. So from now on it's Zukka time! Can't wait to see what you guys will think of it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. The Tales of Ba Sing Se Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka starts searching the city for firebenders. Who is going to find?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka is running home at full speed, the exhaustion starting to bite in his dry throat as he sprints up the last stretch of the path up to their current house.</p>
<p>‘If the Fire Nation is already here then it's only a question of time till Ba Sing Se falls. Not that that wasn't going to happen anyway with how they handle their war efforts.’</p>
<p>He slams the door open as soon as he reaches their home, but his shout for his companions dies down as soon as he takes in the image in front of him.</p>
<p>Aang is peacefully lying on the table, surrounded by all kinds of food and little things that Sokka doesn't doubt are from shops all over the city, piling up all around him.</p>
<p>He has a calm smile on his face, sleeping peacefully, even a bit of droll running out of his mouths.</p>
<p>Like this he looks like a normal child like this, surrounded by sweets and toys, like the war didn't even exist. Like he is the child he was denied to be.</p>
<p>Sokka’s heart stings as he approaches the small boy, pulling a blanket over his body. ‘He looks so young. No. He is so young. He doesn't deserve to be dragged into this awful war.’</p>
<p>On the other end of the rooms he spots his sister, Toph lying right beside her on the ground, both sleeping peacefully with some new outfits scattered on the ground beside both of them, something Katara no doubt had to urge Toph to.</p>
<p>‘None of them deserve this.’</p>
<p>He takes in a deep breath. ‘This is the first time in their lives that they can be the normal children they deserve to be. The first time Katara isn't forced to go hunting and worrying of the food will be enough so they won't have to starve, that no one dies of illness because of missing medicine, or that one black snowflake could announce an attack.’</p>
<p>‘The first time Toph can be free, act how she really is without hiding herself. Without the pressure that was she was constantly placed in.’</p>
<p>‘And Aang can be the child he never had the chance to be. Explore the city, buy toys, eat sweets and fool around for the day without the pressure of the world on his shoulders.’</p>
<p>The firebender steels himself in determination. </p>
<p>‘I can't drag them into this now. They will have enough worries in the future. I can take care of this myself. The Dai Lee might nor be on our side, but if I inform them about a firebender in their city, they will be forced to act.’</p>
<p>‘But they probably won't believe me if I just tell them that. I will have to find the Fire Nation infiltrator first. Well, I’m searching for Appa anyway, so how hard can one additional target be?’</p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very hard, it turns out.</p>
<p>Because this time, unlike with Appa, he doesn't actually know what his target looks like.</p>
<p>He takes a look around the people walking through the streets, looking up at them from under his cloak.</p>
<p>His first plan was to look out for anyone with unusual eyes, the Earth Kingdom’s green heavily contrasting the Fire Nation’s ambers and yellows, but that failed as soon as he saw the amount of people that fit the criteria.</p>
<p>‘What did I even think? Did I believe that mom was the only one the Fire Nation would take advantage of? Some might even be descendants of partnerships before the war.’ </p>
<p>But that leaves him with a big problem. ‘Without a strategy there is now way I would find a random person in this city. And it's not like I could just recognize a firebender when I see one.’</p>
<p>He freezes as soon as he finishes the thought. </p>
<p>‘Bumi did. And Jeong Jeong did too. I also realized that the badger moles were earthbenders. What did Bumi say how he recognized me?’</p>
<p>He walks into a small side alley to gather his thoughts, trying to remember the king's words. It feels like ages since that day, but it probably hasn't been much more than two months.</p>
<p>Still, with everything happening the memories of that have already begun to fade. Nonetheless, some things are still left over.</p>
<p>‘Bumi said he knew it from my body temperature, right? But if he said anything more, I can't remember. Let's just focus on the thing I know.’</p>
<p>Sokka calms his mind as he extends his senses, trying to search for temperature alone is something he never tried before, but it worked with flames, so how hard can it be?</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till he is ready to take back the statement.</p>
<p>Even if it kinda works, his range is far too small for his liking, plus he is starting to get a real headache from it. </p>
<p>‘And I thought I didn't even have any problems with concentrating for a long time! I’m probably doing something wrong. But why is this so much harder then with fire?’</p>
<p>And that doesn't even mention the failed attempts. </p>
<p>He has already found three people with a fever and one buff guy who was REALLY into his training. (He did get some good tips for his workout though, so that wasn't for nothing.)</p>
<p>But by now he definitely needs a break, at least long enough so his headache can subside a bit.</p>
<p>He lets his eyes sway over the street from under his hood, landing on a small shop at the side of the street.</p>
<p>‘A tea shop, huh? Well, it should be nice and quiet in there. And I haven't tried any tea except Gran-Gran's before.’</p>
<p>The pleasant smell of herbs hits him as soon as he opens the door, instantly causing his body to relax. He takes in another deep breath, taking in the aroma, as he lets his eyes fly over the room.</p>
<p>Quiet conversations fill the shop, but nowhere near as loud as outside, so he guesses it would be a good idea to stay.</p>
<p>He sits down on a small table in the corner of the room, directly in the rays of sunlight shining through the small window.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy picks up the menu, looking over the options and it doesn't take much longer till a waiter walks up him.</p>
<p>“What can I get for you?” He asks, his voice rough and a bit tired sounding, and most importantly, very VERY familiar.</p>
<p>Sokka snaps his head up to the teen standing in front of his, his whole body tensing up.</p>
<p>‘What in the spirit's name is he doing here?! Was he the firebender I saw?!’</p>
<p>Luckily for the water tribe boy, the prince in front of him hasn't recognized him yet, the hood hiding his features well, even with the moment of silence not prompting him to look up from the sheet of paper in his hand.</p>
<p>Sokka drags down his hood to cover his face, hiding it even more before he can be recognized.</p>
<p>“I will take the chef’s speciality.” The warrior tries to distort his voice, and it seems to work as Zuko doesn't show any reaction, just going into the back room without hesitation, a tired but relaxed appearance to his steps.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a relieved sigh as soon as Zuko is out of view, pulling down his hood a bit again to make sure it hides his face completely when the other comes back.</p>
<p>‘I wondered what had happened after we last met, after the battle in that abandoned village. So he was sent to infiltrate the city now? Last time it looked- It really looked like he was fighting against the princess too. So what was that about? An argument between siblings?’</p>
<p>He looks around the people in the room. They look like normal Earth Kingdom citizens, peacefully spending their afternoon in a normal tea shop.</p>
<p>‘They probably don't know anything. I should keep my eyes open for anyone who looks suspicious.’</p>
<p>A clicking of a cup on a wooden tray catches his attention.</p>
<p>Zuko is coming back with a steaming cup of tea, a bored expression on his face.</p>
<p>But even so, Sokka still prefers that over the panicked and devastated face the firebender wore when they last parted.</p>
<p>Now that he looks at the prince with a clear mind, he can also see how much the other's hair grew out. It's long enough to fall into his face, flowing along his jawline, gently swaying with each step, making it look incredibly fluffy and soft.</p>
<p>The whole body language is different too. His shoulders aren't exactly relaxed, but far from the usual tenseness Sokka knows.</p>
<p>He looks good. Really good. Sokka’s mind supplies.</p>
<p>And even if Sokka knew the prince’s eyes were gold, now without the usual pinch of anger, he can see their gleam for the first time, as warm and pure as a sunrise. </p>
<p>The water tribe boy can only rip his eyes away from them when the other firebender sets down the cup of tea with a heavy thud.</p>
<p>“T-Thank you.” Sokka manages to stutter out now that he caught himself, hoping it doesn't get the others attention. It doesn't.</p>
<p>Zuko actually seems to be caught up pretty deep into his thoughts. ‘Well, good for me.’</p>
<p>He takes a sip from the tea, its warmth instantly flowing through his body. “This is good, like, really good!” </p>
<p>The words come out of his mouth before he can stop them, even forgetting to change his voice. The water tribe boy’s heart drops as Zuko stops, but when he turns around he has a small smile in his face.</p>
<p>“I will tell the chef. Jasmine is his specialty.” He simply says, heading back to the kitchen without any recognition showing in his eyes.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a relieved breath as soon as the other is out of range. ‘Spirits that could have gone bad.’</p>
<p>He takes another sip of the tea as he continues to watch Zuko give out  more cups to the customers, all drinking it with a smile on their face that Sokka is sure he would find on his own face too.</p>
<p>‘The tea is amazing after all.’</p>
<p>But to Sokka’s surprise, nothing of interest happens, like, nothing at all. It doesn't take long till he has finished his second cup, and more would look suspicious.</p>
<p>‘I would probably be better if I don't stay too long.’ </p>
<p>By now most of the visitors have switched with new ones, so Sokka acts the same way most of the others do, taking out the required money and laying it on the counter without more interaction with Zuko.</p>
<p>As soon as the teen steps out of the shop he walks into the small side alley across it, hiding in the shadow of one of the crates stored there, keeping his eyes on the door of the shop’s door.</p>
<p>The time passes slowly, so Sokka continues to search for more potential firebenders, but so far Zuko is the only one he notices, his strong heat even palpable through the wall.</p>
<p>‘How does he even constantly keep his inner flames like that strength without getting tired? Does he just have that much energy?’</p>
<p>By the time the sun begins to sink Sokka is more than a bit bored, but finally he sees Zuko walk out of the door, the apron now missing.</p>
<p>The Fire Nation teen looks tired, his eyes locked on the ground and a drag in his legs, making worry swell up in Sokka.</p>
<p>But it works in the water tribe boy’s favor, making it easy for him to follow the prince, letting him easily sneak behind the teen till they reach a small apartment complex.</p>
<p>The prince rummages around in his pocket, pulling out a key to open the front door, closing it right behind his back.</p>
<p>Sokka runs up to it, but the door is already closed, not letting him in.</p>
<p>‘Shit. But this should have been enough.’ The firebender extends his senses, following the point of heat that he thinks is Zuko, slowly walking up the stairs.</p>
<p>Sokka tags along his movements from the outside till he feels the other stop, hearing another door opening as a groan is heard through the open window over him.</p>
<p>‘So there it is.’ </p>
<p>He looks around the area, spotting a crate filled space on the opposite side of the road, about two stories up from the street.</p>
<p>The firebender takes a few steps back before falling into a sprint, stepping up on a crate, jumping up into the air while he propels himself with a burst of heat from his feet.</p>
<p>The push is just strong enough to bring him onto the roof, landing on the wood with a silent thud, immediately running to hide behind a crate.</p>
<p>It’s easy to spot Zuko in the room across from him, it being lighted by the gentle flame or a lantern.</p>
<p>As Sokka watches the other teen drop to the ground with a groan he starts to feel shame rise up in him. ‘I really shouldn't watch him like this. … No. He is the enemy. I have more important things to worry about.’</p>
<p>It takes a surprisingly long amount of  time till the firebender raises his head from the table.</p>
<p>‘He REALLY doesn't seem to like his new job. Well, who can judge him. Prince really seems to be a better position to be in.’</p>
<p>Zuko stands up from the ground and walks over the next room, rummaging through a small cupboard. </p>
<p>Sokka is really asking himself what to do when he suddenly sees Zuko pull off his top, revealing his well toned, perfectly streamlined body.</p>
<p>The heat rushes to Sokka’s face, nearly stumbling out of his hiding place from the shock, but he can't bring himself to take his eyes away from the other firebender, tracing each of the muscles on the other's body.</p>
<p>He is slim despite muscles covering every visible part of his body, built for speed but still radiating so much strength.</p>
<p>Scars, both old and new littering his skin, making him look like a real warrior. His fluffy hair gently falling down his back, hiding his slender neck from view, but still showing enough to let Sokka’s thoughts run wild.</p>
<p>His skin is light and clear, not as white as the snow back at home but still much lighter -much softer- than everything he saw at home, and the water tribe boy can't deny how  much he likes the colour.</p>
<p>‘No! Get a hold of yourself! It’s just Zuko! What are you thinking!?’ But no matter what he tells himself, he is pretty sure there are clouds of steam rising from his body, and the strong desire to get closer so he can get a better look.</p>
<p>The door opening in the other room dragged away Sokka’s attention, revealing as Iroh steps in, greeting his nephew. </p>
<p>‘Thank the spirits he is okay. Even if the old man is Fire Nation, he seems like a really good guy.’</p>
<p>Zuko walks over to his uncle, but Sokka isn't able to suppress the disappointment that swells up in him as he sees that the other firebender has already put on his new shirt.</p>
<p>Now, watching the casual conversation between the two Fire Nation people, he feels even more intrusive, but that doesn't outweigh how important this could be. ‘Who knows what they are planning to do?’</p>
<p>He watches as Iroh puts on a pot of tea, working with normal flint stones instead of his bending, the pleasant smell spreading over as far as Sokka’s small hiding place, making him realize (and regret) that he skipped his last meal.</p>
<p>After a while he takes out a small piece of jerky from his pocket and hungrily stuffs it into his mouth, continuing to listen as Iroh says something about going to their neighbors, taking the teapot and two cups as he walks out of the door as Zuko heads to bed, shutting the blinds of the room.</p>
<p>Sokka tries to follow Iroh’s heat, but finds himself unable too, the older firebender’s control so precise that his body temperature is untrackable for the teen.</p>
<p>‘He is a firebending master after all. Well, I should head back then. The others are probably already worrying about me, and I REALLY need something to eat.’</p>
<p>He stands up quietly, jumping down from his hiding place as he releases a burst of heat to soften his fall, coming fact to face with Iroh.</p>
<p>Sokka jumps back against the wall, a shriek about to break from his mouth but Iroh hold up his mouth before it can escape into the quiet night.</p>
<p>“No need to be scared. I’m not here to fight.” He tells as he releases the boy. “But you don't want to alert my nephew, am I right?” He asks with a knowing smirk.</p>
<p>Sokka feels the heat rise to his face, for more than one reason, but he will pretend it's only because he was found despite his best attempt to stay hidden, and also not his definitely manly shriek.</p>
<p>“But how did you even notice me?” The water tribe boy asks after he finally managed to compose himself.</p>
<p>“If I’m correct, you have been reaching out with your flame. Two can play that game.” Iroh says with a smile, taking out the can of tea from behind his back, setting the cups down on the crate beside the two firebenders.</p>
<p>He pours a cup for each of them with a completely relaxed expression. “I take it you have been watching us to see if we pose a danger?”</p>
<p>Sokka nods. He knows he probably shouldn't, but despite everything he thinks of the man as trustworthy, and if talking will prevent a fight from breaking out he will gladly take that chance.</p>
<p>“When I was training my firebending in the abandoned factory between the lower and middle ring I saw another person firebending. When I searched the city I found you, or Zuko to be specific.”</p>
<p>Iroh gives him a knowing nod. “I felt it was only a question of time till someone recognized us, but I think it's a good thing it was you were the one who found us. And I can assure you we don't mean any harm.” He tells him with an unreadable look on his face.</p>
<p>“We are refugees now, on the run from the Fire Nation just like so many here.”</p>
<p>That definitely isn't what Sokka expected. “B-But you are both princes, right? How in the spirit’s name can you be refugees?!”</p>
<p>The ex-general lets out a tired sigh. “The Fire Lord has branded us as traitors after the events at the north pole. Since then we have been on the run.”</p>
<p>But no matter how highly Sokka thinks of the old firebender, he has some problems believing the man. “Yeah, sorry. That sounds pretty made up to me. How could a person banish his own family!? Or send people after them to kill them!?”</p>
<p>Iroh just gives him a sad look, staying silent, the sadness seeming so genuine that the water tribe boy feels doubt rising up in him.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay! Yeah, the Fire Lord does not exactly seem like the family type. Or the forgiving type. But I won't believe you that easily, so expect to see me around more often.”</p>
<p>It seems that the ex general is happy with his answer, giving him a grateful nod before taking another sip from his tea. “I thank you for this chance. I promise we won't waste it.”</p>
<p>Sokka is about to turn around and make his way back to their current hideout when the man stops him.</p>
<p>“You have been improving your bending abilities quite a bit, haven't you. Sensing heat like you did is no small feat, taking quite a bit of control. Have you managed to find a master to teach you?” he asks the younger.</p>
<p>Sokka awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. “Well, kinda. It's a bit complicated, but they really are a great teacher.” This feels a bit too personal to just tell the other about Flamey.</p>
<p>Iroh's face is visibly intrigued, but he doesn't push any further, just giving him an ever patient nod.</p>
<p>‘He probably had to be like this to get along with Zuko.’ He giggles a bit at the thought of the angry firebender.</p>
<p>“If you would still like me to teach you a bit of what I know,” Iroh gets the teen out of his thoughts, “then I would love to teach you. I would love to find out what you did when you jumped from the roof.”</p>
<p>And only now Sokka remembers using his heat bursts in front of the old man. And well, if he is interested and Sokka could learn something, he definitely won't waste this chance.</p>
<p>(And he really wants to show off his heatbending to someone.)</p>
<p>‘Plus I can keep an eye on them while I’m training.’ So the young firebender agrees with a happy smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SO! The first kind of meeting! But not much to say yet. But I really like uncle Iroh so he is the one Sokka meets first.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. The Tales of Ba Sing Se Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Iroh continues his time with Sokka, trying to teach the water tribe boy all that he knows about bending. There is just one slight problem. One that spits fire and has far to pretty golden eyes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It has been a handful of days since Sokka met up with Iroh, and he cant help but think that agreeing to this training was one of the best ideas in his life.</p>
<p>“Try to concentrate more on your breath. Let it flow through your body and fuel your flame. Let it strengthen your chi to your full potential.” The older firebender instructs.</p>
<p>Sokka follows the advice. Because no matter how good Flamey is as a teacher, there are things the spirit simply doesn't know about humans, as it would be natural for a creature who isn't one itself.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy takes in a deep breath, letting the energy flow to his stomach as he feels the heat erupt in his body, the flames around him instantly igniting the old factory surrounding the two firebenders.</p>
<p>The concept of chi was completely new to Sokka, its usage practically nil in all other kinds of bending, and too specialized that Jeong Jeong had time to teach him, nor did it ever come up in Gran-Gran’s stories.</p>
<p>Even Flamey didn’t tell him about it.</p>
<p>According to the spirit their chi isn’t separated from their body, with them lacking a true physical body and all, so it never thought about teaching Sokka about it individually.</p>
<p>“Very good. You are getting better at this incredibly fast.” Iroh praises him, a small blush appearing on Sokka’s face.</p>
<p>He didn't really get any praise for his bending before, except maybe form Jeong Jeong, but all just felt more professional with the Fire Nation deserter. A complete contrast to the personal and informal training with Iroh.</p>
<p>The trust that it built between the two led Sokka to tell Iroh about his relation to the spirit, and to his surprise the older firebender told him about his own travels in the spirit world.</p>
<p>But even the ex general never had the chance to learn his bending directly from a spirit, and told Sokka he was a bit jealous of him, even if the teen could see a certain glint in the general’s eyes that he wasn't telling him about how he learned firebending.</p>
<p>“Let’s take the rest of the day off.” Iroh tells him as soon as the flames surrounding the other have faded away, the room falls mostly into darkness again.</p>
<p>“My nephew should be out for a while longer.” There is a sly grin on the older firebender’s face. “You know, I kind of set him up to go on a date with a young lady.” </p>
<p>Sokka freezes as he hears that, a bad feeling suddenly rising in his body, flowing into his mind some images of Zuko making out with a girl appear in his mind.</p>
<p>He shakes his head to get the thought out of his head.</p>
<p>‘Why would I even care about that? It's not that it's important to me that he goes out with a random girl. He can do what he wants. I don't care anyway.’</p>
<p>But his feelings tell him something else.</p>
<p>Iroh stops for a moment as notices the water tribe boy’s silence, but his expression turns back to normal before the warrior notices.</p>
<p>“Then we should go back now. There is a new kind of tea I want your opinion on.”</p>
<p>Sokka has no doubt it will be as amazing as every other creations of the old man, and his expectations aren't betrayed when the two reach the small apartment and try it.</p>
<p>“Are you sure Zuko won’t be coming home any time soon?” Sokka asks. The two didn't tell the prince about the meetings, or the gaang neither, now that Sokka thinks about it.</p>
<p>He has been covering his training sessions as searching for Appa, or simply saying he was training alone.</p>
<p>“We should be safe for a while. I’ve set up a small number of events for him. He should be occupied till the evening.” But he doesn't elaborate.</p>
<p>Sokka takes another sip from his tea. The feeling of unpleasantness that swells up in his body is still strong as he hears about what the prince could be doing right now, unable to place the reason for the feelings.</p>
<p>“So, how did the search for the bison go?” Iroh tries to divert the others attention as he notices the younger's expression, gears already beginning to turn in his head.</p>
<p>But that topic also isn't a happy one for the teen. </p>
<p>“Not good. I covered most of the lower ring before, and I don't think there are any more black markets then the ones I already found. I don't know what else to do without the help of the Earth King.”</p>
<p>“I have been keeping my ears out for him too.” Iroh notes. “But I didn't hear anything yet, neither did any of my associates. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You don't have to apologize! You are already helping us when you don't have a reason to!”</p>
<p>“Why would I need a reason to help out my valued student?” Iroh tells him with a gentle smile, and Sokka returns it with one of his own.</p>
<p>The slamming door interrupts their moment, a tired looking prince walking into the room without even looking at the people sitting at the table before sitting down on it.</p>
<p>Sokka is just frozen in place, and for once even uncle Iroh looks uncertain, the two just sitting in silence and waiting for the outburst waiting to happen.</p>
<p>And their expectations aren't disappointed.</p>
<p>Zuko looks up, a tired sigh escaping his lips (Sokka will just ignore how soft they look) until suddenly his tiredness turns to shock, jumping up as a flame ignites in his palm, his back pressed into the wall.</p>
<p>“What is he doing here!? Uncle, what is going on!?” Zuko shouts, causing Sokka to hold up his hands in a gesture of peace.</p>
<p>“Calm down! I don't want to hurt you!” The water tribe boy tries as he moves away from the other firebender, but it takes the intervention of uncle Iroh to actually calm down the Fire Nation boy.</p>
<p>“He tells the truth, prince Zuko. He doesn't mean any harm. He is only here to make sure we aren't a danger to him, and I know he won't hand us over to the Dai Lee without good reason.”</p>
<p>Zuko turns to his uncle in shock. “You know- how long have you been meeting up with him? Why don't I know about this?!” he shouts in anger, but Sokka can see the panic that is hidden in his eyes.</p>
<p>Despite the outburst Iroh stays completely calm, his voice patient as ever. “I wanted to tell you soon but it looks like it has to be now. Anyway, there isn't really a reason for introduction, but I hope you get along.” Iroh tells them, sipping from his tea with a relaxed smile.</p>
<p>The two boys just stare at each other in complete silence. ‘What the fuck am I supposed to?’</p>
<p>A thought seems to pop up in Iroh’s head. “Oh, and you should be able to train in the old factory again, now that there isn't a danger that Sokka would notify the Dai Lee.”</p>
<p>Zuko head snaps to the other teen. “That was you?! Spirits! I haven't been able to train my bending since then!”</p>
<p>“What can I do? It is the only area where I could train without being seen. The Dai Lee keeps monitoring our house all day round! Even for me, the least important person of the group, it's always a pain to sneak away from them!”</p>
<p>At his words Zuko looks confused. “Why would you be the least important person of the group?” </p>
<p>Sokka looks away in shame. “You know how the people around here think of firebenders, or all of our allies for that matter. And without my bending I’m just a liability on the battlefield. You have seen Aang and Katara fight, and now there is also Toph.”</p>
<p>Sokka chuckles slightly as he imagines how Zuko would have reacted if Toph had joined their group earlier. ‘Would he make the same expression as all the others when she starts throwing boulders at them?’</p>
<p>“She is one of the strongest earthbender I have ever seen, even if she doesn't look the part. And please don't tell her I said that. She would bury me in a rock avalanche even if she knows it's true. Compared to them, I’m just, well, me.”</p>
<p>The room falls in silence, and to Sokka’s surprise it is Zuko who breaks it.</p>
<p>“Even without your bending, you are still a better fighter than many people I saw. And weren't you also the one responsible for navigation? You are far more important than you think you are.” </p>
<p>As Zuko turns to Sokka he sees the shy smile and blush on the other's face as the water tribe boy awkwardly rubs his neck. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Zuko's face takes on a shade pretty similar to the other firebender’s. “I- I was just saying that I would have caught the avatar already if it weren't for your abilities!” But the words only make the water tribe boy blush even more, the same happening to Zuko’s face.</p>
<p>“Well boys, It seems you are really starting to get along now.” Iroh says with a grin, stopping their misery.</p>
<p>Zuko looks as if he is about to point out (loudly) that that is definitely not the case, but his uncle continues before he has a chance.</p>
<p>“Now that you have the chance, would you like to go over your firebending techniques again so you don't get out of practice?”</p>
<p>Zuko gives the others a determined nod, even if he still stares at a slightly suspicious glance at Sokka, despite his trust in his uncle. </p>
<p>“Good, then let us all go.” Iroh  stands up and walks to the door, seemingly completely calm after the suggestion of a joined training.</p>
<p>Sokka turns his attention to Zuko, seeing an expression that is as unnerved as Sokka’s own probably is.</p>
<p>‘Oh spirits. What did I get into?’</p>
<p>___________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To Sokka’s surprise, for once, it turned out pretty well.</p>
<p>While Zuko still sends him suspicious looks the whole time, having a training partner his own age for the first time in ages seems to soften it up a bit.</p>
<p>The two boys let their flames crash against each other, lighting the old factory in a brilliant blaze, red and orange swirling into each other like a powerful maelstrom.</p>
<p>“That's enough!” Iroh tells them, calling another break. </p>
<p>Sokka lets out a deep breath, feeling how his inner flame shrinks and relaxes, but still feels alive, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.</p>
<p>The firebender wipes the sweat of his forehead as his eyes shift over to Zuko.</p>
<p>The prince is taking heavy breath, just like him, his shirtless body gleaming in the light of the flames surrounding him as he takes a sip from a bottle of water.</p>
<p>“You two have made some great progress. Your different styles really compliment each other well.” Iroh tells them with a kind and proud smile.</p>
<p>Sokka just awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, still not used to the genuine compliments he has recently started to receive.</p>
<p>Even back at home, when he was still training to be a warrior he used to be below average. Now he knows that it was because of his lack of energy caused by his firebending, but as a child it was a great source of shame for him.</p>
<p>No matter how kind and accepting his father was, despite his constant weakness, the water tribe boy could always see the sadness and disappointment in his fathers eyes.</p>
<p>Now, for the first time in his life, he gets real, genuine compliments for his strength, even the techniques he invented himself.</p>
<p>Iroh was impressed by his abilities to control heat like that, praising his ingenuity to adapt his bending to the situation, even if he was visibly sad that Sokka was forced to hide his innate abilities like that.</p>
<p>Zuko tried to imitate the heatbening too. Sokka still has to suppress a laugh at the image that flashes in his mind as he remembers the prince flying against the other side of the room at his first try, his hair messy and dirty from the fall.</p>
<p>Even the scowl Sokka received after that didn't stop his good mood. And with how often the water tribe boy has seen them, the scowls really lose their intimidating factor.</p>
<p>‘They are almost cute. Like a kitten shark.’</p>
<p>“So boys, how about one last short round before we head back home?” Iroh asks the young firebeneders, receiving a happy nod from both of them. (Sokka really has to get used to the small smiles of Zuko. They are somehow really distracting to him for some reason.)</p>
<p>“Good. Then take positions.”</p>
<p>While Sokka walks over to his spot he lets his inner flames grow again, taking a deep breath to strengthen his chi, sending the heat coursing through his veins.</p>
<p>He extends his palm forward to his opponent, Zuko doing the same to him, if with a slightly different stance, waiting for the command.</p>
<p>“Begin!”</p>
<p>Both fighters immediately release a blast of fire as soon as the command halls throughout the building, the flames crashing against each other in a bright blast.</p>
<p>Sokka extends his control, the flames following his command, shifting and forming into a blazing wall, letting it rush at Zuko with enormous speed.</p>
<p>But the other firebender pushes his arms forward, a wedge of flames breaking the wall apart, shooting another blast at his opponent.</p>
<p>Sokka dodges to the side, not having enough time to stop it at this speed and distance, but circles it around his body as he charges up a blast of his own, both flying at the advancing Zuko as a combined force.</p>
<p>The prince lowers himself into a crouch, creating a blast of his own to push his opponent’s flames over his body, falling into a run as soon as he is out of danger.</p>
<p>By now the two firebenders have learned to use each other's weaknesses.</p>
<p>While Sokka can redirect almost every attack at his opponent, he needs time, and his close combat doesn't come close to Zuko’s years long training and natural talent.</p>
<p>But Zuko is not the only one who can study his opponent’s flaws.</p>
<p>Before the prince can come closer or charge up another flames after his last move, Sokka lets his flames flow out of his body, circling far around his body in a burning storm.</p>
<p>It's far more spread out then his usual attacks, causing the heat to be far lower, but it will do its job anyway.</p>
<p>Zuko’s bending is powerful, but his control suffers under his strong, uncontrollable emotions, forcing him to throw up a shield of flames to protect himself as he can’t move the flames the same way Sokka does.</p>
<p>But he can’t protect himself from all sides that way.</p>
<p>Sokka jumps out of the cover of flames with a ball of fire in his palm, having felt the other’s fire even if his own burning winds obscures his vision too.</p>
<p>But if the price has two things, its determination and instincts.</p>
<p>His head snaps around, the heat already swelling up in his body as his palm ignites in a blazing light, countering Sokka’s blast with his own, an explosion rocking the building as the flames collide.</p>
<p>Both firebenders are thrown back, Sokka slowly gliding to the ground with help of some jets of flames while Zuko rolls away to soften the blow, getting back into a fighting position immediately.</p>
<p>But as soon as he looks over to his uncle, the tension leaves his body, Sokka doing the same.</p>
<p>“A wonderful demonstration. You couldn't even fight a battle of this level at the royal Fire Nation Academy.”</p>
<p>And even if Sokka enjoys the compliment, he has doubts it's true. ‘Haven't even trained my bending that long after all.’</p>
<p>The way back to the apartment of the Fire Nation refugees is far more comfortable than the way to the factory, the water tribe boy not feeling the prince’s eyes on his back nearly as often.</p>
<p>“Oh, I nearly forgot.” Iroh says as he turns to his nephew. “What made you come home this early. The sun hadn't even gone down.”</p>
<p>Zuko looks away from the others, his falling hair hiding his expression. “It… It just didn't work out.” He tells them, speeding up in an attempt to leave the others behind, clearly trying to avoid the conversation.</p>
<p>Iroh lets him, continuing to walk at a normal speed, and Sokka decides to continue to stay with him, no matter how much he wants to follow the other firebender. </p>
<p>The ex general seems to notice his worry. “He has always been like that, especially after his mother disappeared and his father became the Fire Lord.”</p>
<p>“His mother did… What happened to her?” He and his sister know how this pain feels, even if the two of them still had their father. ‘Until he left us behind, at least.’</p>
<p>And with all he has heard about the Fire Lord he doesn't seem to be the kindest person, even to his own children. </p>
<p>Sokka feels sympathy swell up in him, accompanied by fear. ‘Might dad be like that too if he finds out I'm a firebender? Would he still like me if he knew?’</p>
<p>Thankfully Iroh interrupts the thoughts before he can fall deeper into his misery. “I myself aren't sure of it, but if my suspicions are true, it's not something you should be burdened with.”</p>
<p>For a moment the ex general stays silent until an idea seems to come into his mind. “I nearly forgot. I wanted to pick up some new herbs from  a friend today. Would you be so kind and wait for me in the apartment?”</p>
<p>Of course Sokka agrees, but it isn't until he steps into the door of the firebenders' accommodation, coming face to face with Zuko, that he realizes what this entails.</p>
<p>“Uhm, hey. Uncle Iroh said he wanted to get something from friend of his. He will be back soon.” Sokka tries to explain, but as soon as he stops talking awkward silence fills the room.</p>
<p>With no better thing to do the water tribe boy sits down across from Zuko, his eyes locked on the empty cup in front of him.</p>
<p>He steals a glance at the other firebender, slowly but just fast enough to still see the other avert his eyes, turning his attention to the same cup on the table.</p>
<p>“Soooo. Do you, uhm, do you want to do … something?” Sokka asks, his eyes turning to the cup again.</p>
<p>It feels like ages before the prince raises his voice, the unsure wavering easily heard in the silence of the room. </p>
<p>“I … I don't know. I don't have much experience with … this.”</p>
<p>Sokka noticed, but he isn't off much better. How long has it been since he interacted with a boy around his age in anything resembling a calm environment? </p>
<p>Well, technically there was Jet, but he doesn't count. For obvious reasons. So it was probably when the older boys left the south pole together with the warriors years ago.</p>
<p>“We could do an … activity?” Sokka tries, his eyes drifting back to the cup as soon as the words leave his mouth, his face heating up in shame. ‘Spirits, that was pathetic.’</p>
<p>But when he looks up at the prince, there is a slightly confused expression on his face, but it isn't able to hide the minuscule smile at the corner of his mouth.</p>
<p>“Do an activity? That is what you say?” He asks with a playfully mocking voice.</p>
<p>“Hey! You didn't have a better idea either! I at least did something!” Sokka protests, causing the grin on the other’s faces to become more visible.</p>
<p>The two fall in silence again, but Sokka can still hear the huffs of Zuko’s suppressed laugh. </p>
<p>The prince looks up at him again, a small but genuine grin on his face. </p>
<p>“Do an activity.” He mockes again, making the water tribe boy’s turn a vibrant shade of red.</p>
<p>“Oh stop it already, prince jerkface!” Sokka calls over, picking up one of the pillows and throwing it at the firebender’s face, but the prince dodges without even a problem, sending him another cocky grin.</p>
<p>The brunette crosses his arms as a glare (definitely not a pout) makes its way onto his face. “Spirits, you are like my sister. And I thought prince Zuko would be -”</p>
<p>“Its Lee here.” the other firebender interrupts him. “I can't exactly go by Zuko right now.”</p>
<p>“And of all the names you could have taken, you choose Lee? The most boring and generic name of all?” Sokka teases, finally seeing a chance to get his revenge for before.</p>
<p>“It's a good name!” Zuko (or should he say Lee?) protests. “It's only logical to use something that wouldn't catch attention!”</p>
<p>“But dude! Think of all the possibilities!” Sokka counters. “You could have taken something really epic sounding! But noooo! You passed of the chance of your life.”</p>
<p>“Lee is perfectly reasonable and you know that too.” Zuko says, pointing at him threateningly before grabbing the cup, trying to take a sip of tea and seemingly forgetting that it is already empty.</p>
<p>A slight scowl goes over his face. “I will make some more.” He grumbles,standing up to walk over to the stove.</p>
<p>Sokka sends him a questioning look. “You can make tea? I didn't take you for the type.”</p>
<p>“Of course I can. It’s not that hard. I always make tea for my uncle when he can’t do it himself.” And he says it with so much confidence that the water tribe boy almost believed him. </p>
<p>Almost.</p>
<p>And at first it looks like Zuko knows what he is doing. Heating the water, picking out some herbs, but as soon as the other drizzles a concerning amount of herbs into the water, the illusion pops.</p>
<p>But the prince doesn't notice the concerned glances Sokka gives him, just finishing his creation in relative calmness. (As much as it is possible for him.)</p>
<p>To the water tribe boy’s surprise Zuko places a cup in front of Sokka, pouring him a cup too, and he might have been happy about it if it was in any other situation.</p>
<p>The southern teen gives the cup a dubious look, his eyes turning over to Zuko, who just gives him a proud look.</p>
<p>“See? I told you I could do it.” The prince simply says, not spotting the other’s obvious  concern.</p>
<p>‘Maybe I’m just overreacting. Maybe Zuko really knows better. He lives with uncle Iroh after all.’</p>
<p>He raises the cup to his lips, taking a sip and instantly regrets every action up to that moment.</p>
<p>He forces the boiling hot, surgery and spicy (‘How did he even manage that?!’) herbal nightmare down his throat, a cough escaping him.</p>
<p>“What in the spirit's name is this?! What did you do to mess this up this bad?!” Sokka shouts, Zuko’s face instantly turning offended.</p>
<p>“It's tea! What's your problem with it! It's perfectly good!”</p>
<p>“Then take a sip!”</p>
<p>“I will!” Zuko declares, not a doubt for his own creation visible in his face.</p>
<p>That is until the moment his lips touch the liquid.</p>
<p>The firebender’s face contorts in a pained fashion, spitting out the tea back into the cup as he runs to the side, taking a bucket of water from the shelf and gulping the whole thing in one go.</p>
<p>The silence between them is deafening, Sokka desperately trying to surprise his laughter as he looks at the prince’s horrified face.</p>
<p>“I made uncle drink this when he was hurt.” he says with genuine regret in his voice, making Sokka laugh out loud.</p>
<p>“You did what?!” He tumbels around on the ground for a moment till he can catch himself. “Please don't tell me he actually drank it.”</p>
<p>Zuko looks into his thoughts for a moment till his body suddenly relaxes slightly. “I… I didn't see him actually drink it. Spirits, I hope he didn't drink it.” he mutters as he sits down on the table with a haunted expression.</p>
<p>Sokka sends him a broad grin. “Well, you would make a good poison mixer, that's for sure.”</p>
<p>“Then you will have to look out, because in the future all of your drinks could be replaced with my special brand tea.” Zuko tells him with a grin.</p>
<p>For a moment there is silence, till Sokka breaks out laughing again. </p>
<p>“Did you make a joke? Did our stoic prince just make a joke?” He calls and as he laughs he suddenly hears another voice join in with him.</p>
<p>It is light and soft, sounding so pure and genuine that Sokka doesn't believe his eyes at first when he sees it come from the firebender across from him.</p>
<p>But as soon as he sees the other’s eyes glow with the same warmth as the laugh, he knows who it belongs too, making all of his body feel warm and fuzzy, a small weird comfortable fluttering in his stomach as his heart begins to beat faster.</p>
<p>For a short moment the shock interrupts his laughter, but he can't help himself from starting again, dragged along with the prince’s blinding smile.</p>
<p>With the time the loud laughter dies down, but the smiles don't leave their faces, just looking at each other in a comfortable silence.</p>
<p>Or in Sokka’s case, more specifically, in Zuko's eyes.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy doesn't feel like he ever got to see them properly. Not like now at least, the shimmering in the others happy eyes like the golden hue of the setting sun, and equally as warm.</p>
<p>And like the real sunrise it makes him feel fuzzy and warm all over.</p>
<p>He doesn't realize he has been staring until the door beside him opens.</p>
<p>Iroh steps in with a small basket and a smile on his face. “I’m back, boys. I hope you didn't get too bored.” </p>
<p>Sokka immediately snaps his head away from the prince’s eyes, but he is pretty sure it wasn't fast enough to avoid Iroh’s eyes.</p>
<p>The ex general blinks as he spots … something that he sees when he looks at the two, a grin spreading over his face.</p>
<p>He looks like he is about to say something but Sokka doesn't let him, jumping up from the table, his face read in shame. </p>
<p>“It's getting late! I have to go! Bye!” He shouts, the word coming from his mouth at an impressive speed as he runs out of the room, not taking another look into apartment as he sprint back to his own home in the upper ring.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Iroh will attempt to get Zuko together with someone no matter what, and right now Sokka is that someone.</p>
<p>I hope you liked how I did the interactions between Sokka and the two royals, and I would like to have your opinions on the training scene between Sokka and Zuko! Writing a firebender vs firebender fight is surprisingly hard!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Sokka’s Lost Days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka continues to spend his time with Zuko. But why does the prince have to be so confusing to him?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sokka finally reaches his current home after the confusing events at Zuko’s and uncle Iroh’s apartment, his mind still hasn't calmed down at all.</p>
<p>He slams the door open with quite a bit more force than necessary, but when he realizes what he did it's already too late, Toph is already staring at him from the other side of the room.</p>
<p>She jumps up into a tense stance, seemingly prepared for a potential enemy, giving him a serious look. “Whats going on?”</p>
<p>But right now, Sokka DEFINITELY isn't ready to tell anyone about Zuko or his training with Iroh. “Nothing! Everything is okay! It's nobody!” Immediately regretting his panicked answer.</p>
<p>‘Spirits, she doesn't even need her lie detection to know that's a lie.’ He looks around the room. ‘At least Aang and Katara aren't here.’</p>
<p>Toph seems to analyze him for a moment, an unusual moment of uncertainty and silence for the earthbender, but it's soon replaced by a gleeful grin. “So it was nobody, huh?”</p>
<p>Sokka almost thinks about running away again, but he doubts that he would be able to escape their group's resident earthbending master.</p>
<p>He takes a breath in an attempt to calm himself, his inner flame doing as he wishes even if his heart is still beating like a storm, no doubt audible for Toph.</p>
<p>“It's really nothing that you have to be bothered by. It won't cause you any problems.” He tells her, making sure that there isn't a lie in his words.</p>
<p>It won’t make her any less suspicious, but it's definitely better than lying or telling her about Zuko. Probably.</p>
<p>‘I wonder how long this will calm her down. I hope long enough to let me sort this out.’ Even if he himself isn't exactly sure what sorting this out means.</p>
<p>She seems to consider him for a moment, no doubt using her earth sense to search him for something she can work with, when a grin spreads over her face, causing a shiver of fear to run down his back.</p>
<p>But against all that Sokka expects, she relents.</p>
<p>“I will stay quiet for now. But not for long.” What she means with that he has no idea, but as long as she stays quiet for now, he won't ask.</p>
<p>He slips out of the room and into his bedroom, letting out a relieved sigh as soon as the door closes behind him.</p>
<p>At first he didn't like to sleep alone in a room, never before being in that situation while growing up in the south, but right now he is really thankful for the privacy.</p>
<p>The firebender closes the windows, cutting off the light from the rising moon and any potential Dai Lee agents.</p>
<p>He drops down on his bed, igniting a small flame in his hand, no bigger than a candle, making sure he doesn't burn anything in his meditation.</p>
<p>He has done this every evening recently after Iroh told him how this would train his chi, easing the burden firebending has on him in the night.</p>
<p>It's really similar to his regular meditation, so he normally finds it really easy. But today he is flooded with thoughts definitely not related to his meditation.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a groan as Zuko’s smile flashes into his mind again, interrupting his meditation, but it somehow bothers him less than it probably should.</p>
<p>Sokka can help but smile too as the prince’s laugh echoes in his mind. </p>
<p>It was so warm and pure, something that Sokka would never have thought possible when he first saw the other firebender back at the south pole, but now, he somehow thinks it fits just right.</p>
<p>The glint in the others eyes, the hint of roughness in his voice, even audible when he laughed, the hair gently framing the others face, how incredibly soft his lips looked.</p>
<p>Sokka shakes his head to stop that though. ‘No! No. That is still Zuko! Get a hold of yourself Sokka.’</p>
<p>By now his struggles have caused the small flame in his palm to go out, leaving the room in darkness.</p>
<p>“I should just try to sleep. I'm sure this will be over tomorrow.” He tells himself, laying down and soon he drifts off into a deep slumber.</p>
<p>_______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It is, in fact, not over when Sokka wakes up the next day.</p>
<p>Quite the opposite. To tell the truth, the only thing he remembers from his dreams is once again the sound of Zuko’s laugh.</p>
<p>When he stands up the next day Toph is once again the only person present, and she gives him the same grin as yesterday when he leaves the house to make his way to Zuko.</p>
<p>Like usually, there are people walking down the streets, even if most of the citizens will take a bit longer to get out of bed then the firebender.</p>
<p>It's only when Sokka is already close to the other firebenders’ apartment that he realizes he ran away before asking if they were free today.</p>
<p>Sokka was actually really flexible, with all of his money coming from the Dai Lee. ‘Well, till we find Appa and stop playing nice.’</p>
<p>He takes a look up at the sun as it rises over the horizon. From what Sokka knows the two firebenders should still be at home at this time, so he should be able to catch them either way.</p>
<p>With confidence he knocks at the door, but it immediately melts away as it opens to reveal Zuko.</p>
<p>“Uhm, hey. Sorry for running away yesterday.” </p>
<p>Zuko gives him an accepting nod. “You can come in if you want?” His voice sounds uncertain, and Sokka has to suppress a smile at how awkward the prince is acting, despite all that the water tribe boy thought not to long ago.</p>
<p>He looks around the room. “Is uncle Iroh already gone?” </p>
<p>“Yeah. There apparently is some kind of festival tomorrow and he wanted to go buy some herbs before they might be bought out.” Zuko explains to him as he pours the other a cup of tea.</p>
<p>Sokka takes in his hands, almost taking a sip before he remembers the events from yesterday, giving the cup a suspicious glance.</p>
<p>Zuko picks up on it instantly, his face taking on a bright shade of red. “Uncle helped me with that one.” He admits, slightly mumbling the words as he turns his head to the side. </p>
<p>Sokka shrugs. ‘Can't be worse than the last one.’ And when he takes a careful sip, he is pleasantly surprised. </p>
<p>“This is actually really good!” He tells Zuko, taking another sip, causing a smile to form on the other’s face.</p>
<p>“Thanks. Uncle told me what I did wrong. I think it really was worth it, even if I have never heard him throw around so many proverbs in such a short time.” He explains with a smile.</p>
<p>“Well, I definitely think it was worth it. I really like it, and I was spoiled from your uncle's creations on a regular basis. By the way, when will you have to go today?”</p>
<p>Zuko refills his cup , shrugging. “Apparently they don't need me for the preparations of the festival today, since there won't be many customers today. That's what uncle told me at least.”</p>
<p>Sokka takes another sip, letting the warm liquid run down his throat. ‘It's really impressive how fast he got this. Well, it's no wonder for someone as amazing as him.’</p>
<p>“How about we go train some more?” Sokka suggests. The others probably don't expect him home anytime soon anyway, and they probably have things to do on their own.</p>
<p>As far as the water tribe boy knows, Aang has been exploring around the western side of the lower ring recently, while Katara and Toph are still covering some grounds of the higher rings, asking around among the richer parts of the city.</p>
<p>Toph was adamant that the two boys of their group definitely weren't made for the high society.</p>
<p>Zuko seems to relax at the suggestion, because it's something he has experience with, Sokka suspects, giving him an energetic nod.</p>
<p>Sokka pulls up his cape again, Zuko sending him a questioning look as he does so.</p>
<p>“Because of the Dai Lee.” Sokka explains, but that obviously isn't enough from the fire prince as he clarifies.</p>
<p>“The Dai Lee have been watching us. Whatever is going on with this city’s higher ups is not good. That guy Long Feng especially. He seems to be afraid our group and especially Aang would cause problems for his control over the city and Earth King.”</p>
<p>Sokka edges a bit closer to Zuko. “We are. That guy is a total asshole and we are just waiting till we find Appa.”</p>
<p>Zuko gives him a look that goes from shock, to admiration, to sadness. “So you will restart your travels soon?” He asks, and Sokka is pretty sure the prince didn't plan to make his emotions as obvious as they are.</p>
<p>But Zuko is not the only one that doesn't like the thought of leaving the other behind. “No, it doesn't look like it. We have been searching the city for a long time already and still didn't find Appa. We are pretty much out of ideas at this point.”</p>
<p>That seems to calm the other slightly, but Sokka isn't finished yet.</p>
<p>He gives the other a determined look, not really believing the words he is about to say. “When we start to travel again, do you want to come with us?”</p>
<p>The shocked reaction is expected, as is the silence that follows. Zuko looks to the side, avoiding looking into the others eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m sure the others will understand in no time. You probably have noticed what a softie Aang is. And he still needs a firebending teacher anyway.”</p>
<p>“I- I’ll think about it.” Zuko tells him, still avoiding the other’s looks, his hair hiding his expression. “But why would he need a firebending teacher, when he already has you?”</p>
<p>Sokka awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. “Well, I’m only good at some parts, and I never learned bending from a proper master until I started traveling, and even then only for a short time. Aang deserves to have someone who properly knows it, like you.”</p>
<p>It stays silent after that, on obvious pressure in the area. But Sokka definitely doesn't like that serious look on Zuko’s face (even if it looks pretty cool). It's just a bit too close to less comfortable times, so he attempts to change the topic.</p>
<p>“So! Do you know what that festival tomorrow is about? Did uncle Iroh tell you anything?”</p>
<p>Zuko seems to take this chance for a lighter conversation. “Not really. I just know that there will be small shops and stalls open till deep in the night. I … didn't really listen.” He admits.</p>
<p>“Well, it sounds interesting. We didn't really have any festivals at home. Nothing big at least. The first one I went to was at a random Fire Nation town during our travels. So, uhm, do you think you will have time tomorrow? We could visit it together.”</p>
<p>Zuko looks kind of surprised, but definitely happy. “I- I think it should work. If uncle and the owner only have to take care of a small shop, then they shouldn't have much problems taking care of it alone. Either way, I should be free for a t least a while.”</p>
<p>“So … Do you want to meet up?” And  for some reason his heart is beating illogically fast at this. It's probably just because he never had a friend his own age, right?</p>
<p>And isn't that a thought, calling Zuko his friend. He might not have believed it to be possible not long ago, but now he can't deny the fact.</p>
<p>“I’d like to. I also haven't had the chance to go to a festival in a long time.” </p>
<p>After that it doesn't take much longer till the two of them reach the abandoned factory.</p>
<p>Sokka pulls down his coat, taking in the air in the building. It still smells like smoke in here, and it's weirdly familiar and relaxing.</p>
<p>Zuko walks over to the other side of the room, a flame igniting in his palm as an excited grin spreads over his face.</p>
<p>“Well then.” Sokka picks up a small rock from the ground, throwing it into the air as he goes into a fighting position, his inner flame heating up with his breath, waiting to be released.</p>
<p>When the pebble hits the ground, the room ignites in brilliant red and orange lights.</p>
<p>Zuko starts with a strong, single burst of flames, like he usually does, rushing at Sokka fueled with the other firebender’s raw emotions.</p>
<p>It's fast, having been made to counter Sokka’s control, but not fast enough yet, even if the speed is far higher than at their first spars.</p>
<p>Sokka takes control of it, already fueling it with his own energy as he holds it in place, when he feels the point of heat he knows is Zuko moving behind the cover of the flames, trying to shift the battle to close combat.</p>
<p>But that won't be so easy for the prince.</p>
<p>As Zuko is about to pass the fireball, Sokka flares the energy inside, and under the pressure it explodes sending a wave of flames over the ground, intending to force the other back, but with a strong burst of fire, Zuko breaks through, dispersing Sokka’s flames as he sends his own at the water tribe boy.</p>
<p>It's too close to control, too fast, but slow enough to change up the flames in his arms and legs, and with a strong burst Sokka is thrown into the air, balancing himself with a steady blaze from his legs as the wave passes under him.</p>
<p>He changes the direction of his flames, sending his body into a spin as he builds up a ring of fire around himself, sending it at the prince as he still recovers from his draining attack.</p>
<p>But despite the exhaustion, Zuko pushes through, just like Sokka would expect from the prince, rolling to the side as he sends a volley of small fireballs at the brunette.</p>
<p>They are fast, but at this size they are easy to take over, spinning them around his body as he follows Zuko's movements, sending half of them back to their creator while Sokka slowly drifts to the ground again.</p>
<p>Zuko sees them coming as he takes on a steady stance, feet placed securely on the ground and Sokka recognizes the move before the flames ignite, taking a deep breath to fuel his own flame enough to be able to challenge the other’s brute force.</p>
<p>The concentrated beam of flames rushes at Sokka before he even lands on the ground, the heat and form almost like a dragon's breath.</p>
<p>It easily rips through the small fireballs thrown at the prince, sparks flying through the air as Sokka builds up his own flame.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy concentrates his attack into a single beam, releasing it to the side of the opponents flame, pushing it to the side, the heat still burning on his skin as it hits the wall right behind him, throwing up a cloud of shards and dust.</p>
<p>Sokka is thrown to the side by the impact, the cloud of steam and dust obscuring his vision.</p>
<p>He extends his senses in an attempt to locate the others firebender, but the hot clouds hide him, not letting him distinct the body warmth from the heat of the surrounding clouds.</p>
<p>But staying at the same place would definitely be a bad idea, so Sokka rushes to the side where he knows he would have the most space to prepare his next move, igniting the flames around his arms and legs as he propels himself from the ground.</p>
<p>When a shadow appears in the cloud right in front of him, he doesn't have time to react, his speed letting him crash into the other firebender and letting them fall to the ground.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a loud groan as he sits up from the surprisingly soft ground, immediately seeing the reason for the gentle landing.</p>
<p>“Zuko! Are all right? Does anything hurt?” Sokka awkwardly asks, looking at the other’s faces for any injuries.</p>
<p>“Get down.” The other just tells him in an annoyed voice, but the usual bark is replaced with exhaustion.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy immediately jumps down from the other firebender, the heat rushing to his face. “Sorry.” But he quickly switches to worrying again, reaching out his hand to help the other sit up.</p>
<p>He spots a small cut on the other’s forehead, probably caused by shrapnel from the explosion, right over the edge of the other’s scar.</p>
<p>“You are bleeding! I think I have something in my bag.” He jumps up to retrieve his bag, pulling out his cape he stored in it before to reveal a small package of medical supplies, not noticing the prince's confused eyes following his movements.</p>
<p>He unrolls the small package to reveal a small assortment of bandages and salves, also some needles and string for more serious wounds, but luckily it doesn't seem to be necessary here.</p>
<p>Sokka hurries over to Zuko’s side again, kneeling down on the ground beside him as he pulls out a small piece of clean cloth to wipe away any potential shards left over in the wound.</p>
<p>‘And Katara said I wouldn't need this anymore now that she has her bending.’</p>
<p>Zuko is just watching in confusion, not being used to the affectionate fretting at all, the only person to ever worry about his wounds in recent time being his uncle.</p>
<p>It only breaks him out of his trance when Sokka raises his hands up wards, slowly getting closer to his scar, letting out a violent flinch of shock as he tries to back away, holding up his hands to protect his face.</p>
<p>Sokka immediately lowers his hands back down, but keeps his emotions calm despite the other’s reaction. “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. I might not look like it, but I really know my way around a wound.” </p>
<p>He keeps his voice calm as he speaks, because to tell the truth, he is slightly scared by Zuko’s strong reaction. He just can't reason why he would react like that. </p>
<p>‘Maybe he just doesn't trust me as much as I thought.’</p>
<p>“Actually, not so long ago, when I was still at the south pole, I tried to train the kids to be warriors. I … I wasn't that good at it. I never got to finish the training either before the other warriors left, so I was just teaching the bit I know.” Sokka tells him, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.</p>
<p>He doesn't exactly know how to react to the other’s panic, but as far as he knows he shouldn't follow it up with panic on his own, so he just continues talking.</p>
<p>Zuko slightly relaxes as he listens to the words, the panic slowly leaving his eyes.</p>
<p>“They always got hurt. Or at least they would call it hurt. A small cut there, a small bruise here, never something serious, but I took care of it anyway. I really helped to calm them down.”</p>
<p>A small, sad smile stretches over his face at the memory of the kids, their big, motivated eyes looking up to him as if he held all the secrets in the world.</p>
<p>“After that Gran-Gran started to teach me how to do the more serious stuff, just in case. I would never have thought I would be using it like this.” He finishes with a small laugh.</p>
<p>He turns his attention to Zuko again, the blood already beginning to slowly flow down into the scar, to the eye of which Sokka wonders once again if it even can see.</p>
<p>“Can I … Can I clean it? Or do you want to do it yourself?” He asks as he holds out the cloth, letting the other grab it if he wants to. </p>
<p>The silence after the question feels endless, but when Zuko lets out a small nod Sokka’s whole body relaxes. For some reason this really seems like something really important to the other, so he will try his best not disappoint the prince.</p>
<p>He slowly raises the cloth to the wound, stopping his movements for a moment when the other lets out another flinch, and haling once more when he makes contact with the skin.</p>
<p>“Tell me if it hurts and I will stop immediately.” He doesn't get a audibel reaction, but he takes the determined look in the other's eyes as a yes.</p>
<p>The cloth is stained red immediately as soon as he runs it over Zuko’s smooth skin, Sokka’s handling turning even more careful as he goes to clean the blood off the scar.</p>
<p>“Is it okay?” He asks once again, already seeing the other tense up more, not receiving an answer of any kind this time. At least not that he notices.</p>
<p>“I really miss the brats at home.” Sokka continues with his story, trying to distract the prince as he continues to clean the wound. “They were loud and annoying and never listened to anything I told them to, and I didn’t even start with all the potty brakes they need.”</p>
<p>He lets out a small giggle. “They were so happy when Aang came to the village. We didn't see anyone else for years at that point. They laughed more than they had in years.”</p>
<p>Sokka runs his palm over the other’s forehead, pushing back the hair to give himself a better look at the wound. </p>
<p>It looks clean, thankfully there weren't any shards in the cut, and the bleeding has mostly stopped by now. He looks at the wound with an intense look as he inspects the damage, pushing the others hair back again as he moves a bit closer.</p>
<p>It's not deep cut, definitely not deep enough to scar. Maybe it will even be closed completely by tomorrow. It seems he overreacted a bit, but he can't help it, head wounds tend to bleed strongly after all, no matter their size.</p>
<p>In his concentration he doesn't even see how Zuko’s face heats up under his touch, even more so as he runs his fingers through the other's hair to keep it away from the cut.</p>
<p>The prince’s is focused on Sokka’s focused on Sokka’s focussed, deep blue eyes as the other takes out a bit of salve, carefully putting it around the cut with gentle movements before covering it with a bandage.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a relieved breath, the tension leaving his shoulders as soon as he finished his work, giving the other firebender a smile.</p>
<p>“It should heal really fast. We can change the bandaging tomorrow before the festival.” He tells the other as he lets the hair fall over the bandages.</p>
<p>He blinks as he takes in the other’s bright red face, his face taking on the same shade as he snaps his hand away. </p>
<p>“Sorry, I-”</p>
<p>“It’s okay. Thank you for taking care of it.” Zuko tells him as he awkwardly averts his eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh. That’s … good.” </p>
<p>An awkward silence stretches between them, a weirdly comfortable fluttering appearing in Sokka’s stomach.</p>
<p>He inspects the patch on Zuko’s head once more, just to make sure it's really good enough, trying to make sure it's as perfect as it could be.</p>
<p>The prince still looks a bit roughed up from the fight, a bit of ash sticking to his hair, the black dust barely visible in the other’s perfectly dark strands, but still obvious enough for Sokka.</p>
<p>He reaches out without much thought behind, gently patting the dust out of Zuko’s soft hair, and spirits, it's as soft as it looks. If not even softer.</p>
<p>He only realizes what he is doing when he feels the other heat up under his though, causing the other to back away and jump up from the ground.</p>
<p>“I- Well.” He takes a deep breath to calm himself. “Uhm, see you tomorrow?” He tries in an attempt to get away from the situation, and Zuko seems to think the same, giving him an energetic nod, his falling hair hiding his red face.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah. See you tomorrow.” And Sokka doesn't waste a moment after that to sprint out of the building, running up to his house in the upper ring.</p>
<p>‘What is going on with me?’</p>
<p>_______________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sokka hasn't managed to calm down when he reaches the group's home in the upper ring, at all.</p>
<p>This time he at least remembers to open the door slowly this time, but as soon as he spots the grin Toph gives him he knows it's in vain. </p>
<p>‘Is there anything you can hide from her?!’</p>
<p>But weirdly enough, she seems to have mercy on him, not saying anything when Katara enters the main room of the building. Not yet at least.</p>
<p>“Oh, you are back. Did you find anything?” She asks her brother.</p>
<p>“Uhm, no, I- I will go meditate for a while. Later!” he calls as he rushes into his room, slamming shut the door behind him as he hears Toph’s laugh echo behind him.</p>
<p>He closes the window as he sits down on the mat on the floor, trying to calm down his heartbeat and mind with a controlled breath. He fails miserably, but somehow still manages to reach the spirit world.</p>
<p>As soon as he opens his eyes to Flamey flying in front of him the words begins to pool out of him.</p>
<p>“You see what is happening to me right? Through the link between us? Good, so you know what's happening. Well, I don’t know what's happening. It just that every time I’m with Zuko he is so-”</p>
<p>No word comes to mind, everything just seems lackluster. But cute, cool, strong and warm come close enough that he will take it for now.</p>
<p>“And-and I just don't know! What am I supposed to do! He is the first guy friend I had in my life! I don't want to mess this up! What if I did mess up already? Flamey! Did I mess up already?”</p>
<p>He gets a really tired sounding (feeling? Flamey doesn't talk after all) ‘no’ in returns, calming him down. A little bit.</p>
<p>“He is just such a great guy! Even if he is from the Fire Nation and despite everything he did before. He is cool, smart, such a great firebender, always so determined, and he even looks good!” </p>
<p>“I just- I don't know how to act! Aang seems like he would know, but he is a child! I can't ask him how to make friends! What would he think of me! And the others-'' Sokka is interrupted when flames rise up around his body.</p>
<p>“Flamey?” He looks up to the spirit, annoyance leaking out of the bird in waves as the forest is obscured by the fire, spitting him out into his own world again.</p>
<p>And instantly he remembers why he didn't go into the spirit world from his room, clenching out the flames that have erupted from the carpet he is sitting on, leaving behind some smoldering and ash around the area.</p>
<p>“That little feathered bastard threw me out!” Sokka complains as he lets himself fall onto the bed, but all his annoyance evaporates as soon as he thinks of tomorrow.</p>
<p>‘I can't wait.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uncle Iroh continues to cause situations where the two are alone. And yeah, I know there are some quite cliche moments in this chapter, but I think it's cute and I like it and it will stay this way.<br/>I don't know how else to write this.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Sokka’s Lost Days Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka continues to spend time with Zuko. But only to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. There definitely aren't any other reasons behind that.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First I have to tell you about that other firebender Sokka fanfiction by asthmaticbee that is coming out right now named 'The Threads of Fate'! You really should give it a try! Its far better than anything could make! </p>
<p>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30168297/chapters/74325477</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as the morning sun begins to rise over the horizon, it’s gentle rays dying the city of Ba Sing Se in a warm orange, Sokka opens his eyes with a snap.</p>
<p>He jumps out of the bed with far more energy than he should reasonably have after how little sleep he got this night, his mind occupied with worry about today for hours. But now, most of it is replaced with pure anticipation, nearly making him vibrate in place.</p>
<p>His steps are quiet as he slips out of his sleeping chambers and into the bathroom, doing his best not to disturb the other members of his group as he tries to get ready for the day.</p>
<p>The hair that can't really be called a beard yet is removed quickly with the blade of his machete, and if he takes extra care that his hair looks as best as possible today, then it's just a coincidence.</p>
<p>He slips into one of his water tribe outfits, the one with the least damage from his travels that he freshly washed yesterday, looking at himself in the mirror as soon as he finished putting it on.</p>
<p>If you would ask Sokka about what he thinks of his own looks at any other day, he would ensure you that he is the best looking guy at the south pole, but as soon as the image of Zuko flares in his mind, nervousness starts to leak into his mind.</p>
<p>He continues to shove around at his outfit, going back to his room to get the rest of his cloth as he changes between the little he has, nothing satisfying him enough to make the nervousness disappear.</p>
<p>'Is this good enough? Should I have bought new clothes? Where would I even get water tribe cloth in this city? Oh no, should I wear an Earth Kingdom outfit since Zuko can't wear the traditional clothing from his nation?'</p>
<p>His nervous thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the opening door, revealing a very tired looking Toph.</p>
<p>"Sorry, did I wake you? I just - Uhm, I'm trying to get myself ready." The ten turns back to the mirror as he tries out another combination, but it also doesn't fit his expectations so he moves to pull it off again.</p>
<p>"I think this looks really good on you." Toph suddenly tells him, bringing a smile to his panicked face.</p>
<p>"Thanks, that really-" He blinks, twice, as the situation settles in, Toph obviously trying to hide a laugh. "Why dare you like that?"</p>
<p>She just laughs louder as he sinks down to the ground like a puddle of pure misery. </p>
<p>"What am I supposed to do!? All the outfits I have with me are just so-" He turns to Toph with a desperate expression. "You learned about all this 'looking good' stuff because of your family, right? Please help me!" He begs.</p>
<p>And surprisingly, she seems to have mercy with him. "Then just go buy something new. The Dai Lee gave us enough money to even buy something from the shops in the upper ring. None of the nobles actually have any idea about clothing. They just do what their tailors tell them to."</p>
<p>For a moment she takes on a thoughtful look. "I think there was a fancy shop along the main street to the south of here. Katara said something about them even having water tribe cloth when we were there. You should try it there."</p>
<p>Sokka gives her a grateful smile. "Thanks Toph, you are a lifesaver."</p>
<p>"Take your best fitting outfit with you, so they can compare the cut and size. The building had triangular columns in front of it. You can't miss it."</p>
<p>Sokka nods, changing into the clothing he originally planned to wear, grabbing some of the money and rushing to the door.</p>
<p>"Good luck, lover boy!" Toph calls after him, almost causing him to fall down the stairs leading to the street in shock.</p>
<p>"I'm not- We aren’t-" he tries, his face burning red, but he just decided it's better to hurry up now. He can tell Toph later that she is DEFINITELY wrong about that.</p>
<p>Even as he is multiple blocks away from their house he swears he can still hear the earthbender laugh in the distance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> ___________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thankfully he manages to find the shop really fast, it being the only one that fits Toph's description.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy looks around the building as he enters, a young woman with a kind smile waving him over to the counter.</p>
<p>"How can I help you, sir?" She asks in a professional voice, but her smile seems genuine, nothing like the creepy ones that Joo Dee is constantly giving them.</p>
<p>"I heard you also have some water tribe cloth? I- Uhm, I need a new outfit, really fast."</p>
<p>She lets out a small laugh at his nervousness. "Then you heard right. Please follow me." </p>
<p>She leads him deeper into building, further down the path as the shelves filled with browns and greens lining the walls beside them.</p>
<p>"I presume this is for the festival today?" she asks, Sokka giving her a nervous nod. "I thought so. Of course we don't have as much variety in our section of water tribe clothing as with our Earth Kingdom ones, but I'm sure we will find just the right thing for you."</p>
<p>They make another tuns and suddenly all the Earth Kingdom colors lining the shelves are replaced with blues, whites and some purples, and it really makes him miss home even more.</p>
<p>"Do you have any special wishes?" The woman asks, patiently waiting for his answer.</p>
<p>"I- If possible I would like something close to this style." He gestures to his sleeveless vest. "But I'm sure you have more experience, so I'll trust your judgment."</p>
<p>She gives him another smile, this one less professional but more open. "I'll see what I can do."</p>
<p>She leads him to a surprisingly big changing room right on the other end of the hallway as she inspects his current outfit. He awkwardly waits for her return, but thankfully not that long.</p>
<p>The vendor hands him the outfit through a small opening, and as soon as he tries on the perfectly fitting clothing, looking at himself in the mirror, he is sure that Toph really had the perfect idea.</p>
<p>"May I take a look how it fits?" The woman calls from the outside, making Sokka step come out of the changing room.</p>
<p>She wears a broad smile as he inspects her work. "It really looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes and slim body perfectly."</p>
<p>"Thanks." Sokka says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He isn't exactly used to these kinds of compliments.</p>
<p>She looks a bit thoughtful. "I have some more I would like to try out. I might have something that fits you even more. You in for it?”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy takes another look at himself before giving the shop clerk an energetic nod.</p>
<p>After many, many more outfits, one better than the other, the tailor seems satisfied, and Sokka is more than that. </p>
<p>His new sleeveless top is as blue as the deepest ocean, trimmed with short, snow white fur and intricate wave designs. He got some new arm bindings too, slimy fitting around his forearms in place of the bandages that usually take up that place.</p>
<p>He is pretty sure he has never had such high quality clothing even once in his life.</p>
<p>The woman's voice drags him out of his thoughts as they reach the counter in the front part of the building.</p>
<p>"You know, I'm really happy that this outfit finally found someone it fits well. Usually the only ones who buy the water tribe clothing are some rich guys who want to show off with it once, and then they never use them again. Not like they fit them in the first place."</p>
<p>She gives him a kind smile. "And the unique cut of them just looks far better on the ones it belongs to." A small grin flies on her face. "I will give a discount. And you know why? With your looks you are bound to attract some customers."</p>
<p>The blush that spreads over his face only makes her grin broader. </p>
<p>"I- uh- Thanks." he says as he shoves over the money, even if it feels kind of bad for the huge discount she gave him, especially considering the quality of the outfit. "Do I need to do anything to attract the customer?”</p>
<p>She shakes her head, a small laugh escaping her. "You worry about yourself, boy. But thanks anyway. Have fun at the festival. Go get them!" She tells him, giving him one last smile as she turns to the new customer that has just arrived.</p>
<p>The water tribe teen gives her one last thankful nod as he walks out of the store, a bright smile on his face after this success.</p>
<p>And with his mind so caught up with his imminent meeting with Zuko, he doesn't even notice all the eyes and blushes sent his way by the various Earth Kingdom teens.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> ___________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite his enthusiasm and impatience, it's still far too early for the festival, not even noon yet, and at the start when the sun starts to dip under the horizon.</p>
<p>Which isn't that late in the current season, but still.</p>
<p>With nothing better to do, he heads back to the group's house again, planning to let his friend distract him at least for a while.</p>
<p>But as soon as he opens the door all of the eyes (Well, except Top's) fall on him, he knows he has made a huge mistake.</p>
<p>"What happened to you?" Katara asks, but she actually sounds kind of impressed. Not something Sokka gets from her often. "I really didn't think Toph was right."</p>
<p> "Right? Right with what?"</p>
<p>The earthbender in question just gives him a sly grin as she leans into her pillow. "That you have a crush."</p>
<p>Sokka's face immediately takes on a deep shade of red. "No, I'm just meeting a friend!" He tries, but the only answer he gets is another laugh.</p>
<p>He crosses his arms as he sends the others an annoyed look. "And I thought you would help me. It seems I'm surrounded by traitors."</p>
<p>His eyes shift to Aang, the airbender also wearing a grin, but he at least seems to be a bit guilty of it. "You were the last one I would have expected to betray me like that." He says as he wipes a fake tear from his eyes.</p>
<p>"Calm down, drama queen." Katara tells him. "When will you be out today?"</p>
<p>The firebender takes a look at the sun through the open window. "Soon. It will take a bit longer till it starts, but I would rather be early."</p>
<p>"Okay. Then have fun on your not-date."  His sister tells him with a broad grin on her face, turning to whisper something into Toph’s ear.</p>
<p>He sends her another look before going out of the building, leaving his old cloth in his room. They really don't hold up to his new ones, even in the area of comfort.</p>
<p>'Why would they make this outfit so flexible and battle ready if they aren't even made to be used like that? Is it just a design decision?'</p>
<p>He continues to let all kinds of thoughts fly through his mind in an attempt to distract himself, trying to waste some time till he reaches the meeting point the two firebending teens decide on.</p>
<p>But despite all his attempts at stalling he arrives far too early, even if he stopped at every of the already available shops on the way.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy awkwardly leans against the wall of the tea shop, resigning him to a boring one and a half hour when the door next to him opens, revealing the kind face of Iroh.</p>
<p>"Oh, uhm. Hey. It looks like I ended up arriving a bit early. There was very little traffic." He lies, but he is pretty sure the old firebender saw through him instantly.</p>
<p>"Ah, don't worry about it. But it will take a bit longer before Zuko will be ready." Iroh kindly tells him, not calling him out on his lies. </p>
<p>An idea seems to fly into the old firebender's mind, steeping to the side to let the teen into the door. "If you have a bit of time anyway, how about you help us with the preparations of the shop?"</p>
<p>Sokka agrees instantly, taking the chance to distract himself from his nervousness, but that plan fails as soon as Iroh leads him into the privacy of the backroom. "You know, Zuko has been really happy since he met you."</p>
<p>The words nearly make him drop the glass of tea leaves he is holding, his entire attention focusing in on Iroh.</p>
<p>"You don't have to be surprised about it. I mean, have ever seen him smile before this week?"</p>
<p>He hasn't. He sure of that. Zuko's smile is not something he thinks he would ever be able to forget.</p>
<p>"Zuko had a hard life. Filled with far more struggles than anyone in the unknown would ever be able to expect, but he is finally starting to get better. It's slow, but with enough time and care, he might finally be able to find himself again."</p>
<p>The silence that follows lets Sokka's mind race. He already figured that the prince didn't have a good life, despite what his title might suggest. And uncle Iroh's words only make his worry grow even more.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy is dragged out of his thoughts when another jar filled with tea leaves is pressed into his hands. "Be so kind and load them on the cart outside would you?" Iroh asks, not even a hint of his previous emotions in his voice.</p>
<p>He agrees with a nod, taking the last of the wares outside where the shop owner already waits. Sokka hasn't seen much of the man, but he can really count himself lucky to get someone like Iroh as an employee. There really is no one who can come close to the old firebender when it comes to making tea.</p>
<p>Said ex general stays behind as Sokka brings the wares to the small stall some streets down to the market most of the festival will take place around, saying he has some more things to take care of.</p>
<p>By the time the water tribe boy finishes, it's already close to his meeting time with Zuko, so he rushes back to the small tea shop. </p>
<p>But it seems that the prince managed to arrive before him, awkwardly standing next to the shop's door not unlike Sokka did not so long ago.</p>
<p>Sokka really made up his thoughts about what he should say as a greeting, but all of the ideas are ignored when he spots the gelled back monstrosity on the other's head.</p>
<p>"What in the spirit's name happened to your hair?!" Sokka near shouts, a laugh escaping him as he takes in the ridiculous disaster that is in place of Zuko's usual haircut.</p>
<p>Zuko turns red instantly, but still gives the water tribe boy a kind smile. "I told uncle it doesn't look good on me. But he was really insistent."</p>
<p>Sokka lets out another laugh as he imagines the scene in his head, an angry Zuko sitting in one of the tea shops chairs while Iroh tries to fit his hair with a smile on his face.</p>
<p>But the water tribe boy really agrees. This hairstyle really looks too stiff for Zuko.</p>
<p>Without much thought behind it Sokka reaches out and tousles up the other's hair, returning it to its usual fuzzy look. </p>
<p> 'It's as soft as it looks.' The thought comes to him instantly, and he probably would have kept messing around with the other's soft strands if he didn't suddenly feel heat erupt from under his hands.</p>
<p>When he looks down he can see the other firebender's red face, his own taking on the same shade as he steps back to create some distance between them, trying and failing not not to remember how soft the hair felt.</p>
<p>He is pretty sure he can see steam rise from the prince, and he is almost certain he is in the same situation.</p>
<p>But after a moment he manages to control himself, looking up to properly inspect the other's looks only to fall into the previous situation as before.</p>
<p>Zuko is wearing a new outfit, the browns and greens make up the colours like they always do around this area, but this shade of it just makes Zuko's eyes shine, perfectly bringing out his iris golden glow.</p>
<p>The cut is also different from usual, still wide and open around the arms, but this time it's tight around his waist and chest, showing off his well formed body. And don't even let him get started on the tight trousers!</p>
<p>"You look really good." Sokka manages to get out after a while, and the smile he receives from the prince already makes this entire day more than worth it. 'I have to tell him that more often.'</p>
<p>"T-Thanks. You too." Zuko answers, leaving them in an awkward, but surprisingly not uncomfortable silence.</p>
<p>"We should get going before it gets too late." Sokka finally manages, getting a nod from the other firebender, their hands brushing against each other as they walk side by side to the warm lights of the festival.</p>
<p>While the two make their way down the street, they are so caught up with each other that none of them notice the proud grin Iroh gives them from inside the building.</p>
<p> ______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The walk to the festival felt shorter then when Sokka went there before to help set up the tea stall, but in the handful of minutes it has been since then, the atmosphere has shifted completely, the streets now dyed in the gentle orange light from all the lanterns hang along the walls of the houses and shops.</p>
<p>It really looks magical, and somehow completely different from the Fire Nation festival.</p>
<p>Sokka takes in a deep breath to take in the smell of food flying all around them, his nose focusing on one in particular. </p>
<p>His eyes snap to the side to find a stall filled with all kinds of meat, a sign above it describing it as 'exotic' but for Sokka it's more than familiar.</p>
<p>"They even have some meat from the south pole!" He tells Zuko with a bright smile, not waiting for the other to respond before grabbing his hand and dragging him to the stall.</p>
<p>"Two from this, this and this please!" Sokka tells the shopkeeper as he points at the ones he likes most, already sliding over the money as he impatiently takes the food.</p>
<p>He holds out one of each to Zuko with a bright smile on his face. "You have got to try these! They aren't done the same way as at home, but it still tastes great!"</p>
<p>Zuko looks a bit doubtful, but he still takes a careful bite, his eyes lighting up as soon as he does, immediately taking another bite.</p>
<p>"I told you they are great!" Sokka tells him, his words slightly slurred by the amount of food in his mouth. 'Only a bit more salt and it would be perfect.'</p>
<p>As soon as they finish Sokka spots another interesting stand in the distance, dragging the other firebender behind him once again. </p>
<p>Not that Sokka actually has to drag him. The other seems to follow him quite willingly if his happy expression is anything to go by as the water tribe boy leads him from one stand to another.</p>
<p>"Hey! Look at that Zuko!" He calls as he points to a mask shop. "It's almost like that time we sneaked on that Fire Nation festival! Is having masks the norm for these kind of events?" He asks, but doesn't receive an answer.</p>
<p>He turns around in worry but when he sees how the other's eyes, all of it instantly falls away. </p>
<p>"You like them?" Sokka asks, quite surprised to see the prince be so interested in something like this. </p>
<p>"They are from plays. I used to visit them with my mother when I was younger." Zuko explains with a sad smile.</p>
<p>He picks up one from one of the racks, its form and deep red scaly design making it look like a dragon.</p>
<p>"She often used to tell me  this one. 'Love amongst Dragons' it is called. But I always hated the performances of it. The actors always messed up all the best parts" He finishes with a smile.</p>
<p>Zuko's eyes shift tower to the next one. "And this one if from 'The Blooming Summer'." He tells the water tribe boy, the sadness from his previous story slowly leaving his voice as he continues to list off stories to every mask he picks up.</p>
<p>Sokka listens to all of them, a smile on his face as the prince's voice becomes more and more energetic and happy the longer he talks, sending Sokka a bright smile Sokka's way every time the water tribe boy asks him a question about it.</p>
<p>And he would probably have continued listening if it wasn't for his stomach letting out a loud gurgling sound.</p>
<p>"Ah, sorry for talking so long." Zuko tries to apologize, but Sokka waves him off.</p>
<p>"Don’t worry about it. It was very interesting." He ensures the other. The teen turns to the mask salesman with the dragon mask. The fist one Zuko picked out.</p>
<p>"You- Uh. You don't have to buy me this." Zuko tells him, awkwardly looking to the side.</p>
<p>"You are right, I don't have to. But I still want to." He tells the other, making a blush appear on his face as he hangs the mask around the other's neck.</p>
<p>But after that Zuko insists they go to get something to eat, sitting down on a small table next to what appears to be some kind of dancing space on a big marketplace.</p>
<p>Sokka actually was here before, but during the middle of the day it was filled with small stalls selling all kinds of ingredients. Only now with them gone he realizes how big this market actually is.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy picks up the menu in front of them, trying to choose something to eat. But that brings up some unexpected problems, as he isn't in the know what the actual traditional names for the dishes are, leaving him to look down on a list of words that only seem vaguely familiar.</p>
<p>'Normally I just try to follow my nose!' He sends a distressed look to Zuko, getting a small chuckle in return, the other seemingly understanding his struggle from his own experience.</p>
<p>"I will get something for both of us." he tells the other with a playful grin on his face.</p>
<p>It doesn't take much longer after that till a waiter comes over to their table, Zuko telling him all of their (surprisingly many) orders.</p>
<p>Sokka sends him a questioning look. He knows he is hungry and usually eats more than most if given the chance, but even he has his limits.</p>
<p>"They usually eat many smaller dishes around this area. Seems to be a traditional thing. I don't know how it's in the upper rings though." he explains, slightly calming the other.</p>
<p>And now that Sokka looks around, he can actually see that, most of the tables filled with many smaller bowls of all kinds of things, starting from freshly grilled meat and ending in pickled vegetables. The image alone is making his stomach growl again.</p>
<p>And as soon as the food arrives at their tables, he knows that Zuko food choices are perfect.</p>
<p>"Let's dig in!" Sokka says impatiently, stuffing the food into his mouth at an ungodly speed as soon as Zuko starts with his.</p>
<p>The prince lets out a small laugh as he watches Sokka eat (or rather devour. That's more accurate), the water tribe boy blushing as soon as he sees the other's reaction.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till all the bowls are empty, the two teens slumping into their chairs with a full stomach.</p>
<p>"This was the best. You have to teach me the names of every single one of these things." Sokka gestures to the stacks of bowls towering up on the table.</p>
<p>Zuko lets out a small laugh at the commnent, nodding in agreement as the one of the waiters comes over, placing a small chalkboard on the table that lists the prize.</p>
<p>Sokka takes a surprised look at it.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that's all we need to pay?” He has been going through the numbers in his head, and this is too far off to be a mistake from his side.</p>
<p>‘I have the money right now. And the cook of this stuff really deserves the money.’ He thinks, already planning to go here again in the very near future.</p>
<p>To his surprise, the waitress gives him a small wink, a playful glint in her eyes. “We have a discount for couples today. Have a nice evening!” She calls as she heads back into the kitchen.</p>
<p>Sokka feels the heat in his body rise, no doubt his face is showing it too.</p>
<p>When he looks up to the other firebender he spots the same reaction, red like a tomato, an embarrassed expression, but Sokka swears he can see a small smile in there too.</p>
<p>But that isn't the only thing he notices. ‘He is so pretty.’</p>
<p>And as much as he wants to get the thought out of his head, Sokka can't deny it. Zuko is maybe the best looking person he knew.</p>
<p>And no offence against Yue, but she just didn't have that spark that Sokka feels from the prince.</p>
<p>In the gentle light of the lanterns, shining on Zuko’s smooth skin he looks as majestic as his title would suggest. If not more.</p>
<p>Music starts to echo around the market, both of the firebender turning their heads to the source, seeing how multiple pairs of people walk up to the central space and start to dance.</p>
<p>It seems open, not something that is restricted by a planned choreography, and Sokka can nearly feel the happiness leak out of the others.</p>
<p>Zuko beside him seem to think the same, the lights of the lanterns lighting the stage reflecting in his eyes.</p>
<p>A thought forms in Sokka’s mind, without much of his own choice, and even if he will probably regret it, he can't hold his question back much longer.</p>
<p>“Would you like to have a dance?” He asks Zuko, fully expecting a ‘no’ but he definitely doesn't complain about the shy nod he receives.</p>
<p>Quite the opposite, in fact. His inner flame glowing like the sun itself.</p>
<p>They walk up to an empty space, Sokka holding Zuko’s hand in his own as they try to move with the music.</p>
<p>Their dancing styles don't add up at all, making them step on each other's feet again and again. </p>
<p>But Sokka doesn't mind, because every time Zuko does he gives Sokka that small awkward smile that just looks so perfect and HE is so perfect and-</p>
<p>He feels himself move in for a kiss before he can stop himself, his lips meeting Zuko’s slightly chapped as the emotions fly through his body.</p>
<p>And Zuko is so warm but he feels so cool and strong but so tiny at the same time as Sokka has his hands on the other’s waist and -Zuko isn't kissing back.</p>
<p>Sokka snaps away to look at the other firebender’s face, completely unmoving, and dread rises up in his body.</p>
<p>“I-I’m sorry I- '' He doesn't get to finish as Zuko’s lips crash into his again, but this time because of the prince’s accord, and it just feels so perfect.</p>
<p>He feels his inner heat rise, the adrenaline flowing through his veins, all of him focuses on Zuko, taking in every single emotion on the other's face when they split.</p>
<p>A happy laugh rises up in him, pressing another kiss on the others mouth as his arms sling the others waist, spinning the other around, as a beautiful, no, perfect laugh halls around the area.</p>
<p>When Sokka comes to a stop, his breath is heavy from the exhaustion and emotions flowing through him, giving the prince a broad smile.</p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>Zuko lets out a small laugh, going in for another short kiss. “Hey.”</p>
<p>“So, uhm, are we, like, a thing now?” Sokka asks, instantly relaxing at the other’s smile.</p>
<p>“Yes. Looks like we are ‘a thing’ now.” He agrees, burying his head in the other’s neck. </p>
<p>His hot breath is sending a pleasant shower down the other’s back as he buries his face in the other’s soft, dark hair, their bodies pressed into each other as they gently swing along with the music surrounding them, the warm light of the lanterns illuminating the area in a gently orange.</p>
<p>But at that moment, the only thing they have eyes for right now, are each other.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, look at good old single me trying to write a loving and touching moment like this. I hope I didn't mess up too bad.</p>
<p>And once again, go read 'The Threads of Fate' by asthmaticbee!<br/>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30168297/chapters/74325477</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Lake Laogai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group decides to take on some different ways to search for Appa, not realizing who’s attention they are going to attract with that method.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Can you believe they didn't recognize my Appa drawing? I have really been improving recently, you know, even if I haven't seen him in a while. Everyone is such a critic.”</p>
<p>“That is supposed to be what!?” A small smile is decorating Zuko’s face as he takes the parchment from Sokka’s hands, obviously trying to suppress a laugh. “I don't remember him having that many feet.”</p>
<p>“Not you too! I thought I could trust you in this madness!” Sokka calls over as he rips the picture out of the others hands, letting it ignite as he drops back to the ground, a pout on his face.</p>
<p>“It's not that bad.” Zuko tries, but it would be more convincing if he wasn't so obviously trying not to laugh. “You go the arrow right, kinda.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean kinda? It was perfect!” But he can't help the smile that forms on his face as he listens to the other’s laughter.</p>
<p>‘He looks good like this, when he is smiling. It almost makes his eyes shine like the sun.’</p>
<p>“I wanted to ask you if you had time today, so we could put them up around the area together. If it's okay. I even got us the interesting area around the shopping streets in the south that we haven't been to before.” Sokka tries.</p>
<p>“It should be fine.” The prince agrees, sending a smile to Sokka’s face. “I don't think I told you already, but uncle is getting his own tea shop in the upper ring. Until then I’m free.”</p>
<p>“That's amazing!” Sokka moves closer to the other, catching him in a hug.</p>
<p>“There was that one rich looking Earth Kingdom noble in the tea shop yesterday. He said he would give uncle the entire shop if he works there. He told us his shop is right beside it, so he probably wants us to attract more customers for his own.”</p>
<p>Zuko takes on a thoughtful look. “Or maybe it's just because he doesn't want to go down here every time he wants to drink some tea. He told us his mansion is really close to it if we ever need anything. Plus the shop comes with a new apartment in the upper level.” He finishes with a proud grin.</p>
<p>“That's so cool! That means we could meet more often!” Sokka tells the other as he playfully bumps their shoulders together. “Uncle Iroh must be really happy.”</p>
<p>“Oh he is. I don't think I have ever seen him as enthusiastic when he thought about the shop’s name and menu.” </p>
<p>“What's its name then? Does it sound cool?” </p>
<p>A small blush goes over Zuko’s face. “The Jasmine Dragon.” </p>
<p>Sokka’s face lights up with a grin as he watches the prince beside him blush. “Named after your favorite, huh? And I thought he wouldn't have any favoritism between his students!” </p>
<p>He grabs the other and ruffles the firebender’s black hair. ‘Spirits how is it always this soft.’</p>
<p>“Stop that! I’m not a child!” He calls over, but his protest is so weak that Sokka is pretty sure he enjoys it, even slightly leaning into the touch.</p>
<p>When Sokka is finished with him the prince’s hair is even more of a mess then usually. He suddenly looks up to Sokka. “Wait, jasmine tea is one of your favorites too!”</p>
<p>He tackles the other to the ground, their laughs echoing through the room as they try to get the drop on the other, but like with their firebending, the two are about evenly matched, dropping to the ground beside each other after a while, heaving heavy breaths but the smiles still shining on their faces.</p>
<p>“Lets go hang the posters. If we finish early we can train a bit at the factory.”</p>
<p>Zuko smiles but hesitates for a moment, and Sokka waits till he manages to form his thoughts to words. </p>
<p>“If the others are hanging up the poster too, they are around the area too, right? Are you sure we won't accidentally meet them?” He asks in a careful voice.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m sure. But like I said before, the others won't have a problem with you. Katara might be a bit angry at first, but she always is. She was even angry at Toph when she first joined, and she didn't even do anything wrong.”</p>
<p>He comfortingly puts his hand on the Fire Nation boy’s shoulder. “I know that if we explain the situation to them they will understand in no time. I did too, right?”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy turns Zuko to him so that he can plant a careful, small kiss on the others forehead. “I promise.”</p>
<p>And even if Zuko doesn't look exactly calm, he looks better, lighter, after hearing the words. “Okay. Then let's go. We don't have the entire day.”</p>
<p>And with that the two firebenders make their way into the streets of the city.</p>
<p>The walk is relaxing, despite Zuko’s constant looking around for the rest of the avatar’s group and the fact that the posters feel far heavier than they have any reason to be.</p>
<p>Sokka drags the prince into the various shops along the street as they put up posters of Appa on every wall they find fitting.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy is looking into another shop when he spots a bracelet on the counter.</p>
<p>It's not gold, if the price tag is anything to go by, but the brass that it's probably made out of shines like it's the real deal, like the brilliant reflection of the sun in the ocean. </p>
<p>But Sokka reminds it of Zuko’s eyes, brilliant and pure.</p>
<p>He walks over to it and takes it into his hands, the material solid and smooth, warmed by the sunlight falling through the door, and Sokka just knows he has to buy it.</p>
<p>He cringes slightly as he pushes the money over the counter. Even if it's not true gold, it's crafted masterfully, looking like trees growing around each other in a beautiful weave.</p>
<p>“Where were you? Do you want me to put all of these up on my own?” The firebender asks, his voice slightly annoyed but without any bark behind it, so he probably isn't serious.</p>
<p>When his eyes focus on Sokka’s nervous face, his eyes take on an interested expression, but he stays silent till the water tribe boy speaks up.</p>
<p>“I, uhm, I want to give you something.” Sokka says awkwardly, holding out the bracelet to Zuko.</p>
<p>Sokka keeps his eyes looking to the ground from nervousness, dread slowly pooling up in his stomach as the other teen stays silent. ‘Doesn't he like it? Of course he wouldn't like it. He is a prince. He was probably bathed in gold a while ago. I shouldn't have-’</p>
<p>His thoughts come to an immediate halt when he looks up at the prince’s tomato red face, his golden eyes locked on the bracelet on Sokka’s hands.</p>
<p>The warrior is the first to break the silence. “Is it okay? It’s not real gold but if you don't like it-”</p>
<p>“I like it!” Zuko interrupts him, louder than he himself expected if his embarrassed expression is anything to go by. </p>
<p>“I really like it.” He repeats, now quieter, but his face no less red. With a slow motion he stretched his arm forward, exposing his wrist to the water tribe boy.</p>
<p>Sokka carefully takes the other's wrist and puts the bracelet around it.</p>
<p>Zuko raises the trinket to his head, inspecting it with stars in his eyes. “T-Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You are welcome. I-It really s-suits you. You look great.” Sokka manages to get out, pretty sure his face is as red as the armor Zuko used to wear not so long ago.</p>
<p>They stand together in a comfortable silence, Zuko continuing to inspect the glittering bracelet while Sokka just watches his smile when suddenly a spout of water erupts in the distance.</p>
<p>‘What the-’ But as soon as the water tribe boy sees he swirling on the side of the fountain, he knows that it has to be caused by a bender.</p>
<p>He immediately falls into a sprint, grabbing Zuko’s hand and dragging him behind. </p>
<p>“That was waterbending! And in the area that Katara was supposed to cover today! She might be in danger!”</p>
<p>As soon as the prince hears the words he falls into a sprint beside the other firebender, following the direction where they saw the water spout come from.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till they reach an open yard, with water splashed all over the ground, signaling that they reached their goal.</p>
<p>“Zuko, here.” Sokka says as he pulls out his cloak from his bag that he usually uses to sneak away from the Dai Lee. “If you still don't want the others to see you, put this on. I’ll find you later or call you if it gets too hard to handle.”</p>
<p>With a grateful nod the prince pulls the coat over his head, hiding his face while he runs into a dark side alley.</p>
<p>Sokka tracks the firebender’s movements up the roof next to him by following his body heat, but can’t see him even if he knows the other’s hiding place.</p>
<p>‘How did he even get so good at this? This doesn't seem like something a prince should have to know.’</p>
<p>As the water tribe boy lets his eyes fly over the area around him he spots the path of battle, being relieved to see that Katara seems to be on the winning side, if the frozen path of destruction is anything to go by.</p>
<p>‘But what would be the reason for Katara to fight like this while we are still-’ The thoughts freeze in his mind as he spots the person on the other end of the alley, nailed to the wall by icicles stuck in his clothing.</p>
<p>“Jet!” He snarls the name as he goes into a fighting position, thankfully remembering to hold back his flames, barely noticing how Aang and Toph line up beside him, having rushed here too after seeing Katara’s bending.</p>
<p>Thankfully the rebel seems to be completely unable to move, a frostbite scar visible on his arm and neck from where Katara froze him all that time ago. The water tribe boy doesn't have it in him to feel bad for it.</p>
<p>Sokka already feels his anger flare up in his body, when suddenly a panicked spark in Zuko’s flame catches his attention.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy looks around the area, waiting for any signs of an attack or another signal from Zuko, but he doesn't notice anything suspicious.</p>
<p>‘I will have to ask him later.’ But he still keeps his senses sharp, just in case.</p>
<p>“What do you want from us!” Katara shouts, already gathering water for another attack, freezing them into sharp icicles.</p>
<p>“I’m here to help you find Appa.” Jet tells them as he unrolls one of the missing posters of Appa.</p>
<p>“As if we would believe you after everything you have done! I won't fall for you lies again!” She shouts as her expression turns even more angry.</p>
<p>Aang turns his attention back to Katara with a conflicted expression. “Maybe we should give him a chance. Maybe he really changed.”</p>
<p>Sokka highly doubts that, but he will go along with it. For now.</p>
<p>‘Jet is probably planning to betray us as soon as he gets the chance, but till then we might be able to get some useful information out of him. We just have to be careful.’</p>
<p>“I swear, I've changed.” Jet tells them. “I really let my anger get out of control. But I left all that behind me. I’m truly sorry what I did to you two.” He tells them, his attention turning to Aang and Katara.</p>
<p>Sokka lets out a scoff. ‘Of course. Even if he is only playing it he won't admit his mistakes to a firebender.’</p>
<p>Jet turns his eyes to Toph and Sokka. “And you guys must be new members to the group?” He asks, an innocent expression on his face.</p>
<p>And even if it's not his proudest moment, that is enough to break Sokka’s patience.</p>
<p>“Stop fucking around, Jet! You don't have the right to play innocent after you tried to have your goons kill me!” </p>
<p>He is already clenching his fist around his machete, when Toph steps forward, a confused look on her face as she places her palm on the wall Jet is frozen to.</p>
<p>“He isn't lying.” She tells them, a mix between shock and confusion appearing on the faces of the other members of the group.</p>
<p>“But- But that's impossible! There is now way he wouldn't remember that!” Katara tells the earthbender, but Sokka is sure she also knows to trust in Toph’s abilities.</p>
<p>‘She even made sure and went directly to him. She could have done it from back here too, after all.’</p>
<p>But that doesn't exactly help their current situation.</p>
<p>‘Is it a head injury? Did he convince himself that I don't exist because he couldn't cope with the fact that I escaped him? That would make him even more messed up then I thought.’</p>
<p>“I’m telling the truth!”Jet ensures them again. “I really don’t know what you are talking about! I’m sure this is all just some kind of misunderstanding. I would never attack anyone without a reason, let alone try to kill them!”</p>
<p>“Well, It seems that me being a firebender was more than enough of a reason for you!” Sokka bites back.</p>
<p>“What? No! But-!” His eyes suddenly lose all emotions, a shiver running down Sokka’s back as his aura shifts, turning not unlike that of the Joo Dee’s they met.</p>
<p>“That's impossible. There are no firebenders in Ba Sing Se.” He tells them with a creepy smile.</p>
<p>The group takes a step backwards in shock.</p>
<p>“He- He isn't lying.” Toph tells him, but even she seems unsure at this point.</p>
<p>“Whatever is happening to him, it's the exact same thing as with Joo Dee. Both of the ones we met. They give off the exact same feeling.” Sokka tells the rest of the group, Aang giving him a nod of agreement.</p>
<p>Sokka turns his attention to Toph. “You can't find any lies because he really thinks he is telling the truth. He has been brainwashed!”</p>
<p>“What? No!” Jet tells them, seemingly having returned to his former self. “That is ridiculous!”</p>
<p>“We have to get his memories back somehow. Any ideas?” Aang asks.</p>
<p>“Maybe Katara should kiss him. That should bring something back.” He tells his sister with a sly grin. He still isn't over the evens of that day, and he won’t let her forget her flirty time with Jet either.</p>
<p>He still doesn't understand what she saw in the rebel.</p>
<p>Katara is rightfully annoyed at the comment. “Maybe you should kiss him.”</p>
<p>He knows it is a joke, but- ‘Getting kissed by a firebender would definitely snap him out of this. But let's just keep this as the last option.’ The thought alone sends a shower down his back.</p>
<p>“Try to think of something from your past that triggered your emotions.” Toph suggests.</p>
<p>Jet closes his eyes, seemingly deep in thoughts, but snaps them open not long after, his eyes flashing with pain. “I- I can’t-”</p>
<p>“Maybe this will help.” Katara says as she edges forward, gently bending some water to surround the other’s temples, even if she is visibly uncomfortable with healing the other teen.</p>
<p>Thankfully it seems to work, Jet’s eyes snapping open with recognition immediately.</p>
<p>But the group doesn't have that long to stay happy.</p>
<p>“You!” He shouts, his eyes locked on Sokka as he takes out a knife from his pocket, stabbing it into the ice to free his arm, using the new mobility to throw the blade at Sokka.</p>
<p>But thankfully Aang blocks it immediately, before Sokka even has to call up his fire.</p>
<p>“I knew it! You would never change!” Katara shouts, the water all around them rising to her command, forming into a violent stream and rushing at Jet.</p>
<p>He is far too slow to even react, a shocked expression on his face as he sees the enormous speed of the wave, slamming him into a wall before freezing him in place, shard of ice still raining from the sky as an angry look forms on Katara’s face.</p>
<p>“I think I like the brainwashed version better.” She grumbles, waking up to the rebel and holding a shard of ice to his face like a knife.</p>
<p>“Tell us what you know! We need to find Appa, and you WILL tell us what you know!”</p>
<p>“I would never work with a firebender!” Jet shouts, a furious expression on his face. “I won't tell you anything as long as that thing is here!” He yells, his head pointing at Sokka.</p>
<p>“You are so infuriating! What is wro-” Katara starts, but is interrupted by her brother.</p>
<p>“It’s okay Katara.” Sokka tells her with a sigh. “I’ll go. We can meet up later.”</p>
<p>“Sokka, you know we won't leave you behind!” </p>
<p>“Yeah, but right now Jet is our only lead. Even if I don't like it. And I’m sure Aang would disagree with any other fast way to get the information out of the idiot.”</p>
<p>Sokka sends the airbender a look, the guilt obvious on his face, but still adamant about his teachings.</p>
<p>‘Sometimes his pacifism can be really limiting.’</p>
<p>The firebender turns around to head off into one of the side alleys, making sure his mouth is turned away from Jet as he whispers.</p>
<p>“I will follow you. I will keep you backs safe.” His voice is quiet, but he is sure Toph has picked up on it and will tell it to the others as soon as she has the chance.</p>
<p>When he is out of sight he instantly jumps up one of the buildings, hurrying to the point of heat he knows is Zuko.</p>
<p>The other firebender gives him a kind smile as he joins him behind a small chimney on one of the roofs of a near house.</p>
<p>Zuko gives him a sympathetic look. “So you also had the displeasure of meeting Jet?”</p>
<p>“You too? Is that guy just a problem to anyone? Did he also try to kill you too because you are a firebender?”</p>
<p>Zuko gives him a nod. “I think at first he wanted to collect some proof that uncle and I are firebenders and then let the Dai Lee do the rest, but he got impatient and straight up attacked us in the tea shop. That was shortly before you found me.”</p>
<p>A nasty smile makes its way on the prince’s face. “Of course no one believed him and in the end he was the one that was arrested. Fucker deserved it. That was the last time I saw him.”</p>
<p>“So before the Dai Lee took him he was normal. Or at least normal for his standards?”</p>
<p>Zuko gives him a nod, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. “They must have done something. It seems that the suspicions your group had about this place were right.”</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a tired nod. “Why can't the things just be easy for once. I will go down to the other’s to tell them. Or better Toph. I can't let Jet see me again.”</p>
<p>He jumps down the roof, letting out a small blast of heat to soften his fall and walks over to the wall he knows Toph to lean against on the other side. </p>
<p>The others are still questioning Jet, without visible success, but maybe this will help them enough.</p>
<p>“Toph. Can you hear me? Jet was taken by the Dai Lee shortly before he became like this. Can you ask him if he remembers anything?”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy feels a small rumble go through the ground under his feet as soon as he finishes, probably a ‘yes’ from Toph, and he runs up to his advantage point up on the roof again.</p>
<p>Sometimes he is a bit jealous of the earthbender’s abilities.</p>
<p>Zuko looks like he wants to ask if it worked when Toph raises her voice down below. “This must be linked to the Dai Lee. They probably want us out of the city as fast as possible.”</p>
<p>“That would make sense. Maybe they still keep Appa wherever they did … this to Jet. Do you remember where they took you?”</p>
<p>Jet visibly flinches as he hears that, his eyes taking on a glassy and hollow look. “Lake Laogai. That's it!”</p>
<p>Jet gives the other’s a serious look. “I will take you there if you help me get my revenge. As long as that ashmaker doesn't come with us.”</p>
<p>Sokka really wants to punch that pricks face, but a small touch from Zuko calms him down before he can do anything dumb.</p>
<p>“Thanks. So how about it. Are you up to infiltrate a secret Earth Kingdom facility?” Sokka asks him with a grin, getting the same in return.</p>
<p>Zuko pulls out his dao swords from somewhere under his cape, then draws out the theater mask, the red one Sokka bought him, and puts it on to hide his face.</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a surprised smile. “Do you just carry that around all the time? Are you always prepared to cause trouble?”</p>
<p>“Only when I’m with you.” He doesn't see the other's face, but the voice sounds like he has a grin on his face.</p>
<p>Sokka pulls out a second cape from his bag (thank the spirits he packed that) to hide his body too, but he has to use a small and boring piece of cloth as his mask.</p>
<p>The duo hurries after the rest of the gaang, hiding in the shadows to stay unnoticed both by Jet and the Dai Lee.</p>
<p>Some people on the streets give them some confused looks, but none actually do anything, so that's not really a problem.</p>
<p>The hidden chase gets a bit harder once they reach the less busy parts of Ba Sing Se, or more specifically the almost natural looking part that leads to Lake Loagai.</p>
<p>Zuko and Sokka follow the others as they hurry though the rich fields that surround the city, the exit to this area thankfully not guarded.</p>
<p>Thankfully the way isn't that long, even surprisingly short. But it is logical, after all, the Dai Lee need such a facility relatively close to their center of control, or organisation would just be a nightmare.</p>
<p>Once they reach the lake Toph easily locates the entrance, raising it out of the ground with a single stomp, the group climbing down the exposed ladder.</p>
<p>The two firebender start to run after them when Sokka stops the other.</p>
<p>“Are you really sure you want to come? This might turn out really dangerous, and I don't know what I would do if they catch you.”</p>
<p>Zuko lets out a small huff. “You know I can take care of myself. And if I didn't want to help you,  I wouldn't have agreed from the start.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.” Sokka gives him a genuine smile, hoping it's visible despite the mask.</p>
<p>“You can't really expect me to let you do this alone. What would you even do without me?” He tells the other teen, running to the entrance before the other has a chance to respond.</p>
<p>Sokka climbs down after the other firebender, down into the tunnels illuminated in an unnatural green light, created by some kinds of crystals placed on the walls.</p>
<p>‘How do they even work? Do they just glow constantly or do they run out after a time?’</p>
<p>But that isn't the important thing right now.</p>
<p>He can neither see nor hear the voices of the rest of the gaang, all of them already having disappeared in the tunnels of the dungeon.</p>
<p>“It looks like we will have to do this on our own. Let's find Appa before anyone notices us.”</p>
<p>They run along the walls, Zuko first because of his unreasonably good tracking skills, searching through more doors than Sokka can count.</p>
<p>Most of them are empty except for some equipment that makes it look uncomfortably close to torture chambers.</p>
<p>They did pass a room with people inside about halfway through their search, but to tell the truth, Sokka would rather forget that event.</p>
<p>‘Well, at least we now know what is wrong with the whole ‘Joo Dee’ thing.’</p>
<p>A shiver makes its way down his back at the mere through. That creepy aura was pretty much pooling out of the room in waves.</p>
<p>Zuko leads them down another corridor as Sokka keeps his senses active in an attempt to pick up on any bit of heat that could be created by a person, but it doesn't exactly work out with the earth and none-benders around here.</p>
<p>‘Still, I could probably pick up on Aang if I get close enough. He still doesn't like to use firebending, but even the residual energy in his body might be enough.’</p>
<p>But as soon as he finishes the thought he feels a big source of heat behind the door on the end of the hallway. </p>
<p>Definitely too big to be Aang, but maybe-</p>
<p>“This way.” Sokka tells Zuko, running off to the door with the other right behind him.</p>
<p>The door is easily opened, not even having a lock, and Sokka peaks into the room. It's mostly covered in darkness, except some very dim crystals at the borders of the room, most of the light coming from the already relatively dark hallway.</p>
<p>But even with so little light, Appa’s fur is bright like the snow back at home.</p>
<p>“Appa!” Sokka shouts as he runs to the bison. For a moment the animal tenses up, but as soon as he realizes who the person in front of him is, he lets out a happy sound.</p>
<p>“There, there buddy. I missed you too.” Sokka tries to calm him as he gently pats the animal's head, running his hand through the soft fur.</p>
<p>Sokka hears how Zuko shuts the door behind them, igniting a small flame in his hand to illuminate the room as he is pulling down his mask.</p>
<p>Appa lets out a small flinch at the presence of another person, especially since it's Zuko, but Sokka continues to calmingly pet the bison’s fur.</p>
<p>“Don't worry. It might be a bit confusing, but Zuko is actually a good guy. We can trust him.” Sokka says in a soft voice while Zuko walks over to the chains holding Appa down.</p>
<p>The metal clutters down to the ground loudly, the Fire Nation teen cutting each of the shackles with a single slash.</p>
<p>“Thanks Zuko. See Appa? He is a good guy.” The water tribe boy looks around the room. “There aren't any big enough exits. They probably just bend a hole in the wall. How did they get you in here buddy?”</p>
<p>Appa lets out an angry roar as he points his head to the ceiling. “Through there?” Another roar.</p>
<p>The ceiling looks like solid rock, but it feels like the sun is close, so the wall can't be that thick. </p>
<p>“Hey Zuko, think we should switch from infiltration to demolition?” </p>
<p>The prince gives him a wide grin. “Count me in.”</p>
<p>Sokka jumps up on the bison’s back, extends his hand to Zuko and helps him up too.</p>
<p>The prince inspects the ceiling with a critical look. “We don't know how thick it is, so we will have to use full power. Fire on my mark.” He says, Sokka already feeling how he charges up the flames inside his core.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy hurries to do the same, letting his inner flame flare up with every breath as the energy charges up in him.</p>
<p>“Appa! Yip yip! Full speed!” Sokka shouts and the bison rises into the air at full speed.</p>
<p>Sokka can feel how the heat grows up beside him, how it radiates foo the prince in waves-</p>
<p>“Now!” Zuko shouts and they release their attack, the combined burst of brilliant, glowing hot flames crashing into the ceiling and breaking through the solid stone, letting them flying out to the warm daylight as the two firebenders shoot any stray rocks out of their way.</p>
<p>“We did it Zuko!” Sokka calls and catches the other in a hug, placing a small kiss on the other’s forehead. </p>
<p>Zuko leads into the touch, but a sad look appears on his face. “Can we- Can we land?”</p>
<p>Sokka immediately nods, worry rising up in him as he sees the other’s expression. “Of course. What's wrong?”</p>
<p>“I- You are trying to find the other’s right? I don't think this is the right time to meet them.”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy gives him a serious nod. “Okay. But you know they won't be angry at you.”</p>
<p>Zuko doesn't give an answer as they land on the shore of the lake.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy gives him a small kiss before the other jumps down from Appa.</p>
<p>“Take care when getting back. I will see you soon.” He ensures the other before urging Appa into the air again, giving Zuko one more look before the other runs into the forest, drawing up his mask to hide his face again.</p>
<p>He looks around the area in an attempt to find the original entrance to the underground structure when suddenly a loud crash is audible on the other side.</p>
<p>Sokka pulls out his binoculars to get a better look.</p>
<p>Panic rises up as he sees the rest of the group surrounded by Dai Lee agents, cutting off their escape with walls of solid rock.</p>
<p>“Appa! Full power! We have to reach them in time!” Sokka tells the bison, getting a determined roar in response.</p>
<p>Thankfully for the two, it looks like no one notices them, Long Feng seemingly caught up in some kind of speech, and once they spot Appa dive in from the sky, it's too late to react.</p>
<p>The bison smashes through the walls with surprising ease, throwing the enemy earthbenders into the water of the lake, the rest of the gaang using the moment of confusion to take out the other men surrounding them.</p>
<p>Appa lands in front of the enemy's leader with a heavy thud, letting out an angry growl.</p>
<p>Long Feng tries to prepare for an attack, but the bison bites into his leg, then throws him away with enough force to let him skip over the water with painful sounding splashes before sinking under the water.</p>
<p>Sokka and Appa don't have any time to prepare as Aang crashes into his long lost friend trying to hug the bison as much as he can with his short arms.</p>
<p>The firebender lets him have the moment, silently giving the airbender a gentle smile as happy tears flow out of the avatar’s eyes.</p>
<p>“I missed you much.” </p>
<p>Sokka barely hears Aang’s voice with how quiet it is, dampened as he buries his face into the white fur.</p>
<p>The other members of the group join them too, but no one has a reaction quiet on the level as Aang, but still gentle and caring.</p>
<p>Sokka just really wishes Zuko was here too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A small side comment. I originally planned to make Sokka link the creepy aura to Koh, because it's kinda it’s thing, suppression of personality and all, and Sokka can recognize it because he met the spirit that embodies that. But it never really came up to make him realize that without it feeling out of place.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Now, finally having Appa back, the gaang returns to the castle in a final attempt to get the Earth King to their side.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flight to the Earth King’s palace is tense. </p>
<p>Now that they have Appa back, there is no more reason to hold back, and every moment they waste is one the Dai Lee have to prepare.</p>
<p>Tha means the time to attack is now.</p>
<p>Sokka takes a look at his sister, the waterbender gazing into the horizon with a conflicted look in her eyes.</p>
<p>They told him what happened to Jet, and even if he knows that the teen had many problems in his life that give good reasons for his actions, it doesn't excuse them. The water tribe boy feels bad for it, but he can't find it in himself to grieve for the rebel.</p>
<p>And who can judge him? He tried to kill him after all. Even Zuko only ever tried to capture the members of their group, despite still working for the Fire Nation at that time.</p>
<p>Katara and Toph still look unhappy with the decision to go directly to the Earth King, pretty much breaking into his palace no matter what, to inform the ruler of what's going on.</p>
<p>Sokka understands why. It's risky, but they need the allies to accomplish their goals. They won't be able to win against the Fire Nation on their own, after all. </p>
<p>And with the Earth Kingdom being the only force left that is strong enough to rival the power of the Fire Nation, this might be their only chance.</p>
<p>‘And even then it's going to be a close fight. The Fire Nation simply is far more advanced in their war efforts and technology. And we won't have enough time to catch up to that at this point.’</p>
<p>He lets out a tired sigh.</p>
<p>‘I just really hope we manage to convince the Earth King of the truth. In the worst case we can just run away. Not like they would follow us once we are outside their walls. But I would have to convince the others to pick up Zuko on the way out.’</p>
<p>As they get a closer look of the palace, Sokka begins to have some second thoughts, especially once he starts inspecting it with his binoculars.</p>
<p>The big building is filled with guards and defensive structures. To the point that it's jarring with how confident they are that their wall will protect them.</p>
<p>‘Maybe there actually are more inner conflicts then we expected.’</p>
<p>“The Earth Kind should be in the center of the palace. It would be the best place to protect him. Or in this case maybe keep him locked up. But it could also be deep underground, so we might have to rely on your senses, Toph.” Sokka tells the others, gaining a small nod from the earthbender in question as she tightens her grip on Appa’s fur.</p>
<p>He gives the structure another look before turning back to the group.</p>
<p>“It's probably better if I don't use my bending, so I won’t be able to help you as much. We are trying to gain their trust after all. I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>Katara gives him a sympathetic look. “It is not your fault, and you know that. We will manage. After all we have the avatar and two bending masters on our side.” </p>
<p>‘Maybe it's better like this anyway. It's hard to find the line between serious injury and temporary knockout with firebending. Even if the enemies have armor.’</p>
<p>______________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If you would have told Sokka this morning that he would end the day sitting in the Earth King’s office, finally having Appa back and sorting through the documents Long Feng stole while the man rots in prison, he definitely wouldn't have believed you.</p>
<p>Now that he thinks about it, the water tribe boy actually feels like he is on a high point of motivation. ‘I can't wait to tell Zuko about this.’</p>
<p>The firebender listens with interest as Aang tells them about the content of the letter he received.</p>
<p>“Do you think you can trust that Guru? I mean, you don't seem to know him at all, and seeing the recent events, we can never be careful enough.” Sokka asks, and he thinks his worry is reasonable with all the events in Ba Sing Se.</p>
<p>Aang gives him a calm smile. “Appa seems to like him. That has to be a good sign. But don't worry, I will be careful when I meet him.”</p>
<p>Sokka can agree to that. It's not like they have much of a choice.</p>
<p>Katara gives Sokka a playful shove from the side. “I can't believe we finally know where dad is. It feels like ages since we last met him.”</p>
<p>The firebender’s body tenses up as he hears that. He feels bad for it, but he really doesn't want to see his dad till he is prepared to tell him about his bending. </p>
<p>And it had been ages since they last met, but that doesn't really make it easier for him.</p>
<p>He is still terrified how his father will react. Technically he knows that the man hardly loses control over anything, but his secret isn't exactly a small thing.</p>
<p>“I know what you mean.” Toph answers Katara. “My mom is in the city, and from what's written in her letter, it sounds like she finally understands me.”</p>
<p>She looks smug as she tells the rest of the group, but Sokka can see the genuine, childish happiness it hides.</p>
<p>To tell the truth, he is a bit jealous of her. She was the one who felt closest to him in that aspect, and now her problem simply resolves itself while he continues to suffer.</p>
<p>Not that he will tell anyone, of course. He knows exactly what kinds of comments he would get. That he should just tell dad and that they are sure he won't hate Sokka and so on. He really don't have the energy for that after today's events.</p>
<p>‘Maybe I could complain to Zuko about this. … No. Zuko had it far worse. I don't think there is much that can hold up to having the Fire Lord as his father.’</p>
<p>He shakes his head to get his mind back to the current situation.</p>
<p>“This is all amazing news, but where do we even start with this.” He asks into the round. </p>
<p>A sad look flies over his sister’s face. “I really don't like this, but it looks like we have to split up.”</p>
<p>“Do we have to?” Aang asks the waterbender, a slight waver in his voice. </p>
<p>Katara gives him a sad but determined look. “You have to meet the guru, but we also have to take care that everything works out here.”</p>
<p>The airbender looks sad about it but agrees. “Well, if I’m flying to the eastern air temple anyway, Appa and I could drop you off on the way to see your dad.” </p>
<p>“But someone has to stay here to make sure that all of the plans are prepared properly, tell the generals what we know. I will take up that roll.” Sokka announces. </p>
<p>He is actually quite relieved to get this out, and planning is his biggest talent anyway, so can support the others like this the most.</p>
<p>“Are you sure? Don't you want to meet dad?” His sister asks, giving him a gentle look. He knows why she wants him to go, but that doesn't make it any easier for him to actually meet dad.</p>
<p>“I- I don't think I’m ready for that yet.” He says in a quiet voice, Katara setting her hand on his shoulder to give him her quiet support, the room falling in silence.</p>
<p>“Are you sure that's the only reason you want to stay here?” Toph questions, getting a confused look from the firebender. “Not to meet up with your secret lover?” She announces with a big grin, trying to lighten the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Sokka’s face takes on a red shade. “No, I-” He starts, about to deny it, but that is not exactly true, is it now.</p>
<p>The two of them already haven't been together for that long, but it just feels right to be with Zuko at this point. And he probably shouldn't keep the fact a secret anymore. </p>
<p>Even if he won’t tell the others about Zuko’s identity without the firebender’s agreement.</p>
<p>Sokka turns to the rest of his group. “Yes, I do plan on meeting him as long as we stay here.” He tells the others in what he attempts to make sound as confident as he can.</p>
<p>“Called it.” Toph mutters in Katara’s direction, sending her a wide grin as the waterbender hands over a small bag of coins.</p>
<p>Aang gives him an incredibly excited look, his eyes practically sparkling with eagerness. “You have to introduce us to him! Can I meet him before we go to the air temple?”</p>
<p>“I- Uhm. He is actually pretty shy.” Not a lie. Toph would pick up on it. “But I’m already trying to convince him to meet you guys. It will just take a while longer.”</p>
<p>The airbender gives him an agreeing nod. “But you have to promise to introduce us eventually!”</p>
<p>“I plan on it. Believe me.” </p>
<p>Man does he hope that it will be soon. Zuko really needs to have more people around him that see him for what he is. Especially with that family of his. </p>
<p>‘Except uncle Iroh of course. You really wonder how someone as calm as him came out of the royal Fire Nation bloodline.’</p>
<p>After that it doesn't take much longer till the group is about to split up, just having gone to their home in the upper ring and getting some of their essentials, loading them into backpacks.</p>
<p>‘We really have to get a new saddle for Appa. This feels really unsafe. Should I try to commission one from a craftsman around here? I’m sure it will get financed by the Earth King. Toph was absolutely terrified when we had to fly like this.’</p>
<p>Sokka catches Aang and Katara  in a tight hug, Toph joins in too.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna miss you two. Tell dad I miss him and will see him soon. And Aang, I know you can do it. I bet you will master the avatar state in no time at all.” </p>
<p>The two return the hug just as tightly. “We will miss you too. But it will only be gone for a week. And don't exhaust yourself too much when you are trying to work out the invasion with the generals.”</p>
<p>She gives him a playful look as she gives him a small shove with her shoulder. “Maybe you can take some time off with your boyfriend.” </p>
<p>And yeah, he plans on doing that. ‘I really hope Zuko got away without anything happening. Well, I don't think the Dai Lee would ever manage to capture Zuko.’</p>
<p>But her expression suddenly softes. “You really care about him, don't you.” It's not a question. It doesn't need to be. “I really didn't think my brother was such a lovebird. Don't try to embarrass yourself too much in front of him.” She finishes with a wink, climbing onto Appa’s back.</p>
<p>“See you soon! Appa! Yip yip!” And with that the bison rises into the air, soon disappearing behind the tall walls of the upper ring, leaving the other half of the group behind.</p>
<p>Sokka turns his attention to Toph, trying to distract himself a bit. He doesn't want to admit it, but he never had been apart from his sister his whole life, and this is making him slightly nervous.</p>
<p>‘But she can take care of herself, and dad will be there too. I really shouldn't be worried.’</p>
<p>“So Toph, are you planning to go meet your mother right now, or a bit later?”</p>
<p>She makes a  thoughtful sound. “I think I will go tomorrow. The day was already exhausting enough.”</p>
<p>The earthbender says it in complete confidence, but Sokka can see the nervousness flashing in her eyes. It's only logical, after all, to meet one of her parents who she had so much conflict with.</p>
<p>“If you want to talk about it, just tell me.” Sokka ensures her, getting a small smile from the blind girl.</p>
<p>“I will manage. Don’t worry about me. What do you plan for the rest of today?”</p>
<p>Sokka takes a look at the sun. He still has some hours left and he really wants to go meet up with Zuko, but he has to be prepared for the war meeting tomorrow. He can't let himself make any mistakes.</p>
<p>“I think I will transport some of the scrolls from the spirit library to the palace for the council tomorrow. Prepare some kind of speech. You know how old noble men like the generals can be.”</p>
<p>That gets a small laugh out of the earthbender. “You can believe that. Good luck with that, I really don't envy you.” She tells him as the two heed back into the house, Sokka taking a bag and stuffing the scrolls inside.</p>
<p>He swings the bag over his shoulder, the heavy parchment digging the strap digging into his shoulder. It almost feels like an eternity as since he had to carry all of this around the Earth Kingdom, but now it is finally going to be used for its proper goal.</p>
<p>Before he heads out of the door he gives Toph one last wave. “See you later! Try not to destroy the city while I’m gone.”</p>
<p>“No promises!” She calls after him as the door snaps shut.</p>
<p>It's actually a weird feeling to walk around the streets without a disguise and not feel the eyes of the Dai Lee on his back. ‘Weird how fast you get used to something like that.’</p>
<p>Thankfully the guards at the castle seem to recognize him, letting him through without a question and a servant leading him to the war room.</p>
<p>The walls are covered with shelves and maps, showing all kinds of places around the earth Kingdom, some of them recognizable to Sokka from his own maps.</p>
<p>He sits down on one of the free tables and lays out his documents.</p>
<p>The others trust him to take care of this, and he won't disappoint any of them. Especially not this time now that they finally have the Earth Kingdom on our side, the biggest opportunity they ever had.</p>
<p>And with a determined look, he unfolds the first of his notes. </p>
<p>He will bring this brutal war to an end, no matter what.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so this will be one of the chapters with a bigger skip of canon events. I hope that's okay. I just don't want to write all the stuff that happens with nearly no changes. I would say it didn't turn out that long, but this actually is the chapter length that I planned on when I first started this story, it's just that I constantly increase the word count with every new chapter.<br/>I hope you still like it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. The Guru</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The writer has problems coming up with summaries that don't spoil anything.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka has to suppress the shaking in his legs as he presents the information he collected to the Earth Kingdom generals, but he manages to put up a brave facade.</p>
<p>The fact that he hit one of the men to snap him out of his panic when the wall was attacked calms Sokka down an unreasonable amount. Not that he would ever tell that to anyone, especially not the general in question.</p>
<p>He should actually count himself lucky that the man doesn't seem to be angry about it.</p>
<p>“And if you have any other questions I’m open for answers. We had some … first hand experience with a number of Fire Nation troops during our travels, and even learned from a deserter how some of their general tactics work, even if our chance of obtaining information from him was cut short.”</p>
<p>The last part is a lie, because uncle Iroh was the one who taught him, but he can't exactly tell that to the generals so he will attribute the information to Jeong Jeong for now.</p>
<p>‘Now that I think about it, uncle Iroh is actually a deserter now too.’</p>
<p>The generals give him a thoughtful look, then shake their heads. “No, this will be enough for now. But we will come back to you if necessary.” One of the generals tells him. Sokka doesn't remember his name yet.</p>
<p>It takes a while longer till they work out the details after that, but the water tribe boy is really happy with all the information that he had the chance to learn from the earthbenders. </p>
<p>“General Fong’s base will serve as the launching point for the attack.” They went over that part of the plan and it's the most logical decision, but thinking of having to interact with Fong again sends a cold shower down his back.</p>
<p>Sokka knows it's necessary, but if they had another choice he would really have preferred not to let Aang and Katara near that man ever again, but he simply has the best stationed base.</p>
<p>‘I will just have to make sure he doesn't try anything again. Not that he will have a good reason to, now that Aang is learning how to go into the avatar state on his own.’</p>
<p>“In exactly two months the army and navy will invade the Fire Nation of the day of the black sun.” He announces, using his bending to move some figure over the huge map in front of them, making them halt on the space depicting the Fire Nation.</p>
<p>“All we need now is the Earth King’s approval in order to execute the plan.” He says as he puts the scroll containing it down on the rock beside him, sliding it over to Sokka with his bending.</p>
<p>‘This guy really likes to show off his bending. Not that I don't understand that. I would probably too if I had the chance. Not that I ever will be able to around here.’</p>
<p>And that thought stings more than it probably should.</p>
<p>Sokka picks up the document as he rises from the ground. “Then I will bring this to the Earth King to get his blessing immediately. Any problems with that, general?” He asks, getting a small head shake in return.</p>
<p>With a little bow he heeds out of the room, getting a polite nod from the men across the table.</p>
<p>‘This went surprisingly well.’ The generals actually listened to his entire info dump, actually seeming interested in his knowledge. </p>
<p>The firebender leaves most of his documents with them in case they want to look something up again, except his maps of course. He started to always keep them on person recently.</p>
<p>They just had too many situations where the group had to flee on a fast notice, and he definitely doesn't want to lose them. Navigation is his job after all.</p>
<p>Thankfully Sokka manages to remember the way to King Kuei’s throne room without having to ask someone for directions.</p>
<p>The man seems to be talking with a handful of advisors, all of their voices serious and Kuei wearing an equally grim look.</p>
<p>So Sokka decides to wait. The king already has enough things to worry about at once, now that he has to take care of everything himself, so the water tribe boy settles to play with Bosco for a bit, the animal obviously bored now that his owner is so busy.</p>
<p>The firebender starts to get restless when the advisors are finally finished, wanting to leave and finally meet Zuko. Kuei seems happy to see him, giving him a kind smile as a greeting.</p>
<p>“Thank you for taking care of Bosco. What brings you here?” </p>
<p>He holds out the scroll to the king as the bear settles down beside the throne again, getting a kind scratch behind his ear. “These are the plans to make the invasion final. They just need your approval.”</p>
<p>Kuei's face takes on a serious look. “So this is it then. Are you certain that we will win?”</p>
<p>“I won't lie to you. The Fire Nation is strong, even without their bending, but this is our best possible chance, and I’m willing to bet my life on it when we attack Caldera. This is our highest possibility for victory in the next hundred years, but we can never be certain in war.”</p>
<p>Kuei looks saddened, but also somehow relieved at Sokka’s honesty. ‘Who can judge him after he has been manipulated by Long Feng for most of his life.’</p>
<p>The king let his eyes fly over the document, taking in its content and even asking Sokka some questions now and then, before eventually taking out a small stamp, setting down his seal with a determined expression.</p>
<p>“I really hope this is the right decision.” He mutters, his voice so weak Sokka barely even hears it.</p>
<p>“I hope so too.” the water tribe boy answers, taking back the scroll to bring it to the war room so the generals could begin to take action.</p>
<p>Sokka says his goodbye to the king and soon finds himself outside the palace and finally starts to make his way down to the tea shop in the lower ring when he picks up on a group of loudly speaking elder women.</p>
<p>“You haven't been to the new tea shop before? Oh you have to visit it! It serves the best tea I have ever had in my whole life!” She ensures one of her friends.</p>
<p>Now that Sokka thinks about it, Zuko told him about the two of them moving to the upper ring, opening the new tea shop there. ‘Maybe it's them. It definitely sounds like uncle Iroh’s tea.’</p>
<p>“Uhm, excuse me madams.” Sokka approaches the women with a kind smile. “Would you please tell me the name of the tea shop?”</p>
<p>“Ah, are you interested to try it out too? You really should. It's so good to see that some of the youth still appreciates such things properly.” One of the women tells her with a happy smile.</p>
<p>“The shop is just down the street, you can't miss it. You just need to follow your nose.” She lets out a small, polite giggle at her own joke, Sokka doing too, even if he knows Katara would just roll her eyes.</p>
<p>“I just hope you still get a free space. You see, it just opened and the people are already going there in floods, so you better try to hurry.” Another tells him.</p>
<p>“Thank you very much. I hope you have a nice day.” Sokka tells the women with a small bow before turning around and walking off into the direction they pointed at.</p>
<p>‘Ha, Toph, now who wouldn't  be fit in high society.’</p>
<p>He is definitely going to tell that to Toph once she is back from meeting up with her mum.</p>
<p>‘But that might take a while longer. They probably have many things to catch up on. She even told me that I might not see her for the rest of the day.’</p>
<p>Like the woman said, Sokka actually picks up the smell before he sees the building, the wonderful warm and aromatic scent definitely belonging to uncle Iroh’s masterful creations, but even without them, the green dragons decorating the building would have been a dead giveaway.</p>
<p>The atmosphere inside the shop is lax despite the usual stiffness in the upper ring, but that's just the effect uncle Iroh’s tea has on people.</p>
<p>He looks around the room, people quietly talking to each other with relaxed expressions, more tea servers walking around than in the previous shop, making it harder for the water tribe boy to actually find Zuko.</p>
<p>Sokka finds his firebender on the other side of the counter, handing uncle Iroh some herbs with a smile on his face. </p>
<p>The water tribe boy can't help but let his eyes drift to Zuko’s wrist, the golden bracelet beautifully glinting against his light skin, glowing nearly as much as his beautiful golden eyes.</p>
<p>Sokka’s inner flame grows with happiness to see the other wearing it, a wide smile on his face.</p>
<p>The prince doesn't seem to have noticed Sokka yet, so the teen just walks up to the counter as an idea forms in his head, casually leaning on the counter in an attempt to look cool.</p>
<p>“I would like to have your cutest waiter serve me the house's specialty.” He says in a flirty voice, waggling his eyebrows as Zuko’s eyes fall on him.</p>
<p>“Sokka!” The prince calls with a bright smile on his face, hastily placing the glass down on the table to catch the water tribe boy in a tight hug.</p>
<p>Sokka returns the hug, basking in the other’s warmth as he buries her face in his neck, even if he is a bit surprised at the open affection. </p>
<p>Not that he is going to complain. He really likes it, creating a warm and fluttery feeling in his stomach as he runs his hand through the prince’s hair.</p>
<p>It feels too soon when they split, but Sokka knows that he can’t take up too much of Zuko’s time.</p>
<p>“Thank the spirits you are okay! I was so worried when I heard all the commotion in the palace. Is everything all right now? Did you guys manage to do it?” He asks, trying to hint at their battle against the Dai Lee without actually saying it out loud in the open like this.</p>
<p>“Yeah. It worked. I’m sorry I couldn't come earlier. But now everything is okay. We even managed to get the King on our side.” He whispers the last part into Zuko’s ear.</p>
<p>“So, how are things going with the tea shop?” Sokka asks. “Have you settled in alright?”</p>
<p>Zuko gives him a small smile. “Don't worry about us. Things are a bit stressful right now, but things are going really well. Uncle actually thinks about hiring another waiter already.”</p>
<p>The prince lets his eyes sway over the people. “The people really seem to love uncle's tea. And well, you can see how happy that makes him.” Zuko gestures to the ex general as he sprinkles herbs into a mortar with a wide smile on his face.</p>
<p>Sokka decides to sit down on one of the tables with a fresh Jasmine tea, not taking up Zuko’s attention too much and waiting till the crowd clears up a bit till he takes up the Prince’s time again.</p>
<p>He goes through the documents detailing the invasion again, making sure there isn't a thing they have missed in their plans, but he always finds his eyes drifting back to Zuko.</p>
<p>The smile on the other firebender’s face is an unusual thing, but it really lights up his face, and Sokka can help, but smile back every time their eyes meet.</p>
<p>He did manage to finish the construction plans for the mechanic they met in the northern air temple though. A masterpiece, if he says so himself.</p>
<p>When the people finally begin to leave, more and more tables staying empty as the sun has fallen from its Zenith, the water tribe boy walks up to Zuko again, helping him clean the last of his cups.</p>
<p>The atmosphere between them is calming and warm, and Sokka actually finds himself having fun doing the simple cleaning tasks with Zuko. (Not that he will ever tell that to his sister. She would force him to do all the housework.)</p>
<p>And before they notice, the sun is sinking under the horizon, the two teens heading up into the apartment above the tea shop.</p>
<p>It smells just as calming and welcoming as the shop below, being much spacier than the previous one, with broad open windows to let in as much sunlight as possible.</p>
<p>Iroh is already welcoming them with a warm smile and an equally warm looking pot of soup. </p>
<p>“Ah, there you are, boys. I just finished the food. Dig in! You won't get anything like this in the entire Earth Kingdom.” He tells the two, Sokka picking up on the hidden meaning.</p>
<p>‘I never really had any real Fire Nation food before. Except the fire flakes at the festival.’ But the unknown has never stopped him from trying something new, and he definitely isn’t disappointed when he takes his first spoon full.</p>
<p>“This is amazing! Are you as good at making tea as any food related things?”</p>
<p>Iroh lets out a warm laugh. “Thank you very much, but I think that's sadly not the case. It just happens that this is one of my favorites. I decided to make it in celebration of this important day.”</p>
<p>Sokka takes another spoon full, letting the hearty, spicy and warm soup fill his mouth with flavors, rich in vegetables and meat, the potatoes and beef so soft that they fall apart on his tongue.</p>
<p>It doesn't take long till the entire pot is empty, and Sokka doesn't think he would be able to fit even one more bite,  laying on the floor with a full stomach as his body is warmed from the inside.</p>
<p>Zuko is right beside him, an equally satisfied smile on his face.</p>
<p>‘This really hit the spot. I never felt that full after a meal. I didn't think food could make you feel this warm inside. But I guess it makes sense since it's from the FIre Nation.’</p>
<p>He rolls to the side so he can face Zuko, giving the other a smile as he runs his hand through the soft dark hair, his nails gently running along the other’s scalp, making the prince lean into the touch.</p>
<p>Sokka edges closer to catch the other in a warm hug, nestling himself under the other’s chin.</p>
<p>Zuko lets out a satisfied humm, their legs twisting into each other as they try to move closer to each other, bathing the warmth of each other’s bodies.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy doesn't even notice himself drift off, only realizing he had fallen asleep when Zuko gently shakes him awake to lead the water tribe boy into his room, a sleeping mat already laying on the ground.</p>
<p>Zuko, looking as tired as Sokka feels right now, slips under the covers, pulling in the other firebender with him.</p>
<p>Sokka is almost about to explode from nervousness, but he is just so tired and full after the meal, and Zuko is warm, so wonderfully warm as Sokka buries his face in the other’s chest, the blanket covering the two keeping the heat from escaping, lulling Sokka into a deep sleep in seconds.</p>
<p>___________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Sokka wakes up the next day it is to the nervous stuttering of Zuko. “Ah, Sorry, I- Uhm-'' he tries, but he doesn't manage to get out any words, his face so red Sokka fears he might actually go up in flames.</p>
<p>And the fact that how close the tangled blanket presses them together certainly doesn't make it easier for the awkward Fire Nation teen.</p>
<p>Sokka just gives him a small kiss in an attempt to calm him down, and it works, even if the blush doesn't leave Zuko’s face.</p>
<p>Sokka really doesn't mind that fact. The prince looks even more cute with the blush on his already beautiful face.</p>
<p>To Sokka’s disappointment, it doesn't take long till they fight themselves out of the tangled bedding, Zuko deciding to take the bathroom first.</p>
<p>Uncle Iroh seems to have already gone down to the shop, if his missing apron is anything to go by, but he was kind enough to leave some food for the two teens on the table.</p>
<p>Sokka already starts to dig in, taking a bite from when the door to the bathroom opens.</p>
<p>Zuko walks into the room, his hair still wet as it clings to his slender neck, drops of water running down his body and over his well formed muscles.</p>
<p>He hadn't even put on his clothes yet, only a towel hanging around his hips, but the bracelet Sokka gifted him is already in place.</p>
<p>The food almost falls out of Sokka’s open mouth as he takes in the prince’s look.</p>
<p>And of course the other teen has to notice, giving him a sexy grin as he heats up his body, all the water evaporating in a burst of steam, his hair swaying in the rising air, enjoying the reaction of the water tribe boy to its fullest.</p>
<p>Sokka gulps down the food as he rushes off into the now empty bathroom, Zuko’s warm laugh following him through the rooms.</p>
<p>And once again, Sokka can't believe how lucky he has gotten to meet Zuko.</p>
<p>________________</p>
<p>Sokka soon leaves the tea shop to make his way to the palace, trying to be available if the generals have any questions he might be able to help them with, even if he doubts it.</p>
<p>Customers are already coming into the shop to get some tea despite the early hour, so Zuko will be occupied anway.</p>
<p>He woke unusually late today, the sun already standing over the horizon, so he experiences the full streets of Ba Sing Se full force all the people head off to work, even in the less densely populated areas like the upper ring.</p>
<p>Thankfully the palace isn't that far away.</p>
<p>Sokka makes his way up the many stairs and just about to step through the main entrance when he suddenly feels a strong source of heat in the distance, sticking out against the cold stone surrounding it, just on the other end of the hallway.</p>
<p>But not a kind flame, just pure, violent heat, as if it wants to run wild and burns everything around it. A far too familiar feeling for Sokka.</p>
<p>He jumps behind a pillar in an attempt to hide, trying to shrink his own inner flame in an attempt to hide his own presence from Azula, but never stopping to track the enemy’s heat.</p>
<p>‘What is she doing here?! How did she even get into the city?!’</p>
<p>He knew that people could potentially sneak into the city, having said how easy it would be himself, but to think they would let the princess of the Fire Nation in?</p>
<p>‘Well, Zuko managed it too. Do they just not know how the royal family of the Fire Nation looks?’</p>
<p>The point of head is slowly distancing itself from him, far enough that he doubts she would even be able to spot him.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy takes out his binocular from his bag and peaks around the corner.</p>
<p>Like he thought, it is Azula, wearing a Earth Kingdom outfit very similar to the style of the Dai Lee, beside her two people in Kyoshi warrior uniforms.</p>
<p>Their faces are too far away, and also hidden behind the makeup, but Sokka is sure he recognizes the hairstyle.</p>
<p>‘Shit! That's how they got in. Then the Kyoshi warriors the king told us about were them from the start? That means they had far too much time to prepare!’</p>
<p>Sokka moves behind the cover again and runs down the stairs.</p>
<p>‘The Dai Lee would have definitely noticed if somebody that doesn't belong to their group would walk around in their outfit, not that I even saw any women working for them anyway, so that means they are probably working with her already.’</p>
<p>‘Did Long Feng make a deal or did she manage to get them on her side on her own? We should have taken the entire Dai Lee out when we had the chance. But they just were such a valuable asset.’</p>
<p>He spirits down the streets of the upper ring, first to the gaangs house. </p>
<p>“Toph! Are you here?!” He shouts as soon as he opens the door, but doesn’t spot anybody, nor gets any awnser.</p>
<p>‘She must still be with her mother. I should have asked her where they are meeting up. And alone I definitely can't take on the Dai Lee.’</p>
<p>‘What should we even do? We have to keep the King safe, capture Azula and take care of the entire Dai Lee. There is no way we can do that without Aang. And he won't be back for five more days!’</p>
<p>He runs into his room, taking one of his capes to hide his face, stores his weapons on his body, taking a backpack with all his essentials.</p>
<p>‘The only hope now is that the princess won’t act for a while, so we have time to take care of her from the shadows. Going into the palace at this point would be suicide with all the Dai Lee there.’</p>
<p>“I have to get as many people on our side as fast as possible.” He decides, making his way to Zuko. Maybe the prince can help him with understanding what his sister is planning, or how she usually does things.</p>
<p>As Sokka runs to the tea shop, he keeps his eyes open for any of the Dai Lee agents or a point of heat that belongs to Azula, but he doesn't find anything.</p>
<p>When he runs into the shop people give him a confused look, but he ignores them, hurrying over to Zuko. </p>
<p>“Where is uncle Iroh?” He asks, not spotting the man in the kitchen.</p>
<p>“He is out right now to show one of the employees which herbs to buy for the tea. What's going on? Are there problems? Are you okay?” Zuko instantly picked up on Sokka’s panic, already bombarding him with questions as the water tribe boy drags him out of the back door to get some privacy.</p>
<p>The streets behind the building are surprisingly quiet, the silence only making Sokka more nervous.</p>
<p>“We have a problem. A really big problem. Azula is here and she seems to be working with the Dai Lee.” Sokka says, not jumping around the topic. They don't have the time to.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy watches as all color leaves Zuko’s face, his whole body tensing up. “How did she even-”</p>
<p>“She disguised herself and her team as Kyoshi warriors, probably took the outfits from Suki and her group. Spirits I hope they are okay. But I don't know anything about the Dai Lee situation.”</p>
<p>“Shit. We have to get- Wait. Where did you see her? Are you sure she didn't follow you?” Zuko asks in panic.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to deny it when suddenly a source of heat erupts on the roof beside them, a fireball flying at the two, Zuko blocking it with a wall of flames just in time.</p>
<p>“Color me surprised. Looks like your instinct at least is still working, Zuzu.” Azula’s voice cuts through the silence, as cold as Sokka remembers it.</p>
<p>He turns around as he goes into a fighting position, his inner flame flaring as he throws a ball of fire at her.</p>
<p>It is blocked before it can reach her, a wall of stone rising up from the ground to block the attack, the weak flame dissipating, unable to break through the solid rock.</p>
<p>When the wall lowers itself again the princess stands in the same position as before, her whole body looking completely relaxed. </p>
<p>“I haven't even finished talking yet, but what did I expect from a water tribe savage, especially an insult to firebending like you are. How he ended up getting Agni's blessing is really above me. Where did you even pick this on up, Zuzu?” She asks her brother with fake kindness.</p>
<p>When she turns her attention over to Sokka it sends a cold shower down his back. “Though I have to admit I’m quite interested how a person like him could be born a firebender, and especially master it like him.”</p>
<p>Her eyes look down at him as if he was some kind of specimen for her to dissect, maybe that's even something she plans. He wouldn't exclude the possibility from what he has seen of her till now.</p>
<p>‘I really preferred it when she ignored me in favor of Aang. How is someone as cruel as her even related to Zuko?’</p>
<p>“What do you want, Azula?!” Zuko shouts up to her, heat flowing from his body as he gets into a fighting position.</p>
<p>“Oh Zuko, have you completely forgotten your manners? I really didn't think you have let yourself down on the same level like that peasant over there. And I’m pretty sure you already know what I want.”</p>
<p>As she talks more and more Dai Lee agents appear on the buildings surrounding them, stepping out into the streets to block off any possible path to escape.</p>
<p>Azula follows the eyes of the boys with obvious glee. “Oh, are you already acquainted with the Dai Lee? They are earthbenders, but they have that edge that makes the  just as fierce as the firebender back at home. I’ve taken quite a liking to them.”</p>
<p>“They are traitors, that's what they are! Why are you following the princess of the Fire Nation?! Can't you see how bad of an idea this is?! This will destroy the city of Ba Sing Se!” Sokka shouts to the earthbenders, but none of them gives him any answer, even if he sees some flinch as they hear his words.</p>
<p>‘They don't look like they think it such a good idea either.’ “If you continue with this, Ba Sing Se will be destroyed by the Fire Nation, burned to the ground with nothing left, and you will be the ones responsible, the blood of every citizen, of your whole country, sticking on your hands, including the king’s!” He shouts, trying to turn them against Azula.</p>
<p>Sokka is about to continue with his speech when Azula interrupts him, picking up on what he does. “Look at you trying to be smart, but it's no use. You will never get them on your side. And while I would love to see you struggle as you continue to try, we don't have the time for this.”</p>
<p>Without an audible command the Dai Lee begin their attack, releasing a wave of stone projectiles at the boys from all directions.</p>
<p>The two dart out of the way, hiding in the cloud of dust thrown up from the impact as they charge up their flames.</p>
<p>Sokka knows Azula can track them by their heat, or at least is really sure of it. How else would she have been able to follow him without him feeling the Dai Lee’s gaze on him?</p>
<p>But weirdly enough, she does not join the battle, just watching from her position on the roof. It only helps to unsettle the water tribe boy more.</p>
<p>Sokka darts over to Zuko as the dust settles, releasing a charged up flame at the Dai Lee agent that has been sneaking up on the prince, the violent flame crashing at the earthbender without mercy.</p>
<p>At this point Sokka is sure they won't be on the avatar’s side no matter what, so he doesn't have to worry about holding back anymore.</p>
<p>The Dai Lee agent crashes into the wall with a heavy impact, knocking him out instantly with smoke still rising from his body.</p>
<p>“Zuko! We have to get out of here!” He shouts, receiving a nod in response, but before they can try anything a rumble goes through the ground under their feet, barely leaving them time to doge.</p>
<p>‘They are trying to split us up.’ </p>
<p>Sokka releases a strong burst of fire at his feet, blasting himself into the air to avoid the ground closing in on his ankles, the blast lifting him out of the cloud and right in front of two Dai Lee agents.</p>
<p>They don't have any time to react as Sokka blasts two powerful balls of fire at them, the glowing hot flames from his palms throwing the men from the roof and down into the streets below.</p>
<p>He feels something grab his arms, trying to twist it to the side, but he flares the heat at that part, a blast of flames blowing off the stone hand from the Dai Lee agent, even if his own flames singe his skin.</p>
<p>Sokka takes in a deep breath as he drops down to the street again, using the stable ground to get into a solid stance before letting out a strong wave of flames over the entire area, forcing the Dai Lee to throw up walls to protect themselves.</p>
<p>But that also limits their own vision, leaving Sokka enough time to pump his previous flames with energy, causing them to burst into a storm of fire and setting some of the roofs on flame.</p>
<p>Another boulder comes flying from the side, Sokka dodging it by propelling himself to the side with his flames, then forming them into an orb and throwing it at the attacker.</p>
<p>The earthbender throws up a wall, but it's too weak, the fireball exploding in a blazing flame, making the man shriek in pain as the searing fire eats through his robes.</p>
<p>‘Doesn't look like Azula told them I’m a firebender.’</p>
<p>A shout to his side catches his attention, spotting Zuko surrounded by earthbenders from all sides, the Dai Lee seemingly having evaluated the prince as the biggest danger.</p>
<p>But they have left their backs wide open to Sokka, the teen sending a powerful fire kick into one's back, making him fly into one of his companions.</p>
<p>“Zuko! Full power!” Sokka shouts as he lets his inner flame grow, the prince doing the same as he lets a grin slip on his face.</p>
<p>They let the fire flow out of their bodies, covering the area in a violent inferno as they move the blaze around them like a tornado, forcing all the Dai Lee agents back as the buildings around them go up in flames, unable to withstand the heat.</p>
<p>But suddenly Sokka feels a rush of energy to his side and he has barely enough time to push Zuko to the side as lightning strikes where they once stood, leaving a small crater at its impact.</p>
<p>The firestorm dissipates as the two are forced apart, the Dai Lee jumping Zuko and using his staggering to knock one of their stone covered hands into his neck.</p>
<p>Sokka watches in panic as the prince’s eyes roll back, falling to the ground unconsciously.</p>
<p>One of the Dai Lee agents takes his body, binding the firebender's limbs as he starts to take Zuko away, all the other earthbenders turning their attention to Sokka.</p>
<p>“Don't you DARE touch him!” Sokka shots, letting his body go up in flames, the fire flying together into one small point, the bullet of concentrated heat rushing at the Dai Lee agent at incredible speed, crashing into his arm and forcing him to drop Zuko to the ground, moving away in pain.</p>
<p>Sokka lets flames erupt at his feet, trying to move over to Zuko, but a wall of stone shoots out of the ground right in front of him, cutting off his path.</p>
<p>He has barely enough time to dodge a bolder coming flying at him, the rough rock scraping his arm and pushing him into a building.</p>
<p>‘This is bad. Really bad.’ It almost feels like the more Dai Lee they take out, the more come to support them.</p>
<p>‘Flamey? If you have any secret spirit powers you didn't tell me about yet, this would be the ideal time to use them.’</p>
<p>He pushes himself to the side just in time to avoid the earth closing in around his limbs, but now with all the Dai Lee’s attention on him, the attacks come raining in from all sides, not even letting him time to charge up the smallest of flames.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy barely notices someone approach him from the side until the pain radiates through his body, making him fall to the ground as his vision begins to sway, the darkness creeping in as he falls into unconsciousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I thought about making Sokka go down to the lower ring to meet Zuko in this chapter and find both their apartment empty and them gone from the tea shop and Sokka would panic that something happened to Zuko and Iroh because he convinced Zuko to come with him to the Dai Lee hideout, but it just felt out of place and I wasn't really satisfied with it, so I ended up leaving it out.</p>
<p>And yeah, I'm really into the fluff parts of the Zukka ship. Judge me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. The Crossroads of Destiny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The conflict comes to its final act. Will Iit end in disaster or victory?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Sokka slowly regains consciousness, he is welcomed by a surprising warmth.</p>
<p>“Sokka! Are you awake? Please tell me you are okay.” Zuko’s voice sounds far more concerned than Sokka has ever heard him, making him worry enough to actually force open his eyes, even if it sends pain shooting through his skull.</p>
<p>“Zuko? What happened? Where are we?” He asks the prince, still continuing to lay against the other’s body. Spirits his head feels like it's splitting apart.</p>
<p>“The Dai Lee took us out and threw us into prison. Or a cave. I think this is somewhere under the palace.” Zuko explains.</p>
<p>Sokka jumps away from the other, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his body, but a groan comes out anyway. “I’m so, so sorry Zuko. This is all my fault! She wouldn't have captured you if I didn't-”</p>
<p>“Calm down, you are still hurt. The bleeding has stopped, but you still shouldn't move too much.” Zuko explains, gently laying his hand on the back of the water tribe boy’s head where the Dai Lee hit him.</p>
<p>Zuko carefully leads Sokka to lie down on his legs again. “And even if you didn't come to me, Azula would have found me sooner or later. That's just how she is. At least this way uncle isn't captured.”</p>
<p>“But even he won't be able to take out the entire Dai Lee on his own. And till Aang comes back the city might already have fallen! And then there is nothing that will be able to rival the Fire Nation.”</p>
<p>He holds up his hands and presses them into his eyes, trying to supress the tears. “Aang and Katara trusted me with this. They all trusted me with this! And I messed it up! This entire war will be lost because of me! If I just found her earlier I could have prevented all of this!”</p>
<p>Zuko looks down at the water tribe boy with a helpless expression, clearly panicked at the boy’s reaction.</p>
<p>“No! You- Uhm.” He tries to stutter something out, taking in a deep breath to start again. His hands drift to the golden bracelet on his arm, his eyes becoming more determined as soon as he does.</p>
<p>“We make many mistakes in our lives. I learned that the hard way, but it's only too late if you decide to give up, until you stop moving forward and accept the defeat.”</p>
<p>Zuko sounds strangely similar to his uncle this way, but it does help Sokka to calm down a bit.</p>
<p>“We all lost something before. I lost my home, my honor, my mother.” He looks like he's about to elaborate on the last part, but decides against it. “But now I’m still here, alive and slowly changing things for the better.”</p>
<p>“We might not be able to forget our mistakes,” His hand moves up to his scar as he says it, “But that doesn't stop us from growing above them. Even if they will follow us for the rest of our lives.”</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a thankful look, wiping the last of the tears away. “You are right. We haven't lost yet. Not until we have drawn our last breath. We can do this.”</p>
<p>The water tribe boy forces himself up, ignoring the concerned look he gets from Zuko. They don't have any time to rest right now.</p>
<p>“We have to try to get out of here. Do you know where they throw us in?” he asks, his eyes scanning the walls. Not that there has to be a visible entrance with all the earthbender around here.</p>
<p>“Sorry. I was still unconscious when they threw us in.” Zuko tells him.</p>
<p>But it turns out that they don't really need that information, a trail of dragged bodies, probably their own, leading to an inconspicuous part of the wall.</p>
<p>When Sokka's eyes drift up, his attention lands on Zuko’s scar again. “You know, maybe you won't be forced to always wear your mistakes.” Even if Sokka somehow doubts that the scar is Zuko’s fault. He knows how much the prince tends to draw guilt at himself.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“My sister is a waterbender, a really good one. She has learned how to heal wounds, and that includes burns. I know that from my own experience.”</p>
<p>“But those were fresh burns, right? This is a scar, they can't be healed.”</p>
<p>“My sister has water from the spirit oasis up in the north pole. I don't know how strong its abilities are exactly, but you can feel the energy of it through the bottle it's in. If there is something in this world that can heal the scar, then it's that.”</p>
<p>Zuko looks hopeful in a way the other has never seen him before, his eyes lighting up in a way that makes Sokka feel warm all over, before the prince shakes his head, a determined expression appearing on his face.</p>
<p>“First we have to get out of here. Did you find anything useful yet?”</p>
<p>Sokka gives him a proud grin. “Of course I did! I was the best tracker in our whole village!”</p>
<p>“Was that before or after you were the only tracker in your village?”</p>
<p>“I don't have to answer that! But this is the way they brought us in, so probably the thinnest wall. We might be able to break it open. But using fire or an explosion in such a small room would be dangerous. But I think something else might work.”</p>
<p>Zuko walks over to the entrance as the water tribe boy places his hand on the rock, letting heat flow into it.</p>
<p>“I didn this when we stopped the drill on the outer wall. And it was able to break the metal, so this should probably work. And last time I didn't have a strong firebender like you with me.” He tells Zuko with a small grin.</p>
<p>Zuko takes on an embarrassed expression while he places his hand on the rock, following Sokka’s example. “I’m not that good.”</p>
<p>The other is about to deny that when a cracking sound goes through the rock already. “Huh. This might be even easier than expected. Zuko? Now we have to take out the heat as fast as possible so it crumbles under the sudden temperature shift.”</p>
<p>A small nod comes from the other as he takes on a serious expression.</p>
<p>“Okay. On my command. One, two, now!” They drag out the heat with their bending, the boulder instantly shattering into a thousand pieces, revealing the hallway that lies behind it.</p>
<p>“Yay! It worked!” Sokka calls, catching Zuko in a tight hug. “Now we have to get to the Earth King as fast as possible.”</p>
<p>He turns to leave when he comes face to face with Aang and uncle Iroh. “Uh, hey? What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>Aang gives the two firebenders a confused look, definitely having seen the hug, but doesn't comment on it, for now. “I saw in a vision that you were in danger and came flying as fast as I could.”</p>
<p>“Thank you. But we have to hurry.” Sokka is about to start making his way up to the palace when he spots the look Zuko gives Aang. </p>
<p>The water tribe boy really doesn't want to see that angry look on Zuko’s face ever again. Not after all the battles he and the gaang had in the past.</p>
<p>He is about to ask the prince what is wrong when  uncle Iroh steps forward. “Zuko. It's time we talked. You two go help your friends. We will catch up to you in no time.”</p>
<p>Sokka sends Zuko one more worried look, but he trusts Iroh, and Aang and him run off into the hallways. They have a city to save.</p>
<p>“We should try to notify all guards and soldiers that aren't on the side of the Dai Lee. Then we can overwhelm them with numbers, while we take out Azula. Aang, we need you to be all avatar like to convince them.” Sokka tells Aang, getting a small nod in return.</p>
<p>The two continue to run through the dimm tunnels, to the exit Aang said would lead to the outside, when Sokka suddenly feels a flame erupt behind his back.</p>
<p>“Ambush!” He shouts, warning Aang as he tries to stop the blue flame while Aang throws up a wall of rock, easily blocking the already weakened flames.</p>
<p>“Of course we weren't able to avoid her…” Sokka mumbles. He really had enough of the Fire Nation princess for one day. ‘Is it even still the same day? I have no idea how long I was out.’</p>
<p>Sokka wastes no time to charge up his flames, jumping up from the cover behind the wall and throwing the fireball at her.</p>
<p>She creates a wall of flames to block his attack, but he pushes his energy into the fireball to make it burst, dissipating the princess’s flames and pushing her back, breaking her stance.</p>
<p>Aang jumps at the opening, gathering the air, sending a stormwind at Azula, throwing her against the cave’s wall with a painful sounding crash.</p>
<p>But she recovers fast, sending a fireball at the two, the flame erupting into a violent blast just before hitting the two, embers flying through the air.</p>
<p>Sokka extends his control to it, redirecting it around the boys before sending it back into the wall above Azula, cracks spreading through the rock as the cave begins to collapse over her head.</p>
<p>She ignites a burst of flame from her fist, propelling herself to the side to avoid the falling debris, but Aang lets a wall rise from the ground, cornering her between it and the debris.</p>
<p>Sokka prepares a strong burst of flames when suddenly a fireball comes flying from the side, erupting just between the two parties.</p>
<p>Sokka feels how a very familiar source of heat approaches from the side, Zuko jumping down from a ledge to stand beside them, his eyes focused on Azula.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy can feel how Zuko charges up another blast when suddenly his eyes snap to Aang, turning his stance away from Azula to shoot a fireball at Aang, his fighting stance showing his bare wrist, the bracelet Sokka gifted the prince nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>Sokka’s whole body freezes as the Aang manages to avoid the blast just in time by propelling himself into the air with his airbending, the flames dissipating when it hits the ground.</p>
<p>“Zu- '' Sokka begins to shout to Zuko when he feels a wave of blue flames rush towards him, just leaving him enough time to throw up a wall to protect himself from the worst damage, getting flung back from the impact.</p>
<p>He ignites a stream of flames at his palms to catch himself before he collides with the ground, raising himself into the air as another flames hits the ground where he would have landet.</p>
<p>With a wave of his arms he sends the flames of the burning craters form the princess’s attacks hurling over the ground, back at their creator as he descends to the ground, following up with another fireball, the sparks skittering over the ground.</p>
<p>Azula’s leg ignites in a blue blaze, sending an arc of her fire over the ground to block the attacks, then letting her flames grow into a wall to block Sokka’s second attack, blue flames overtaking the red.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy instantly turns to Zuko while the princess is distracted, propelling himself to the other side of the cave where the prince is currently throwing a wave of flames at Aang.</p>
<p>“Zuko! What are you doing?! Why are you siding with Azula?!” He shouts but he doesn't get an answer, a wall of blue flames erupting in front of Sokka, stopping him from getting closer to the prince.</p>
<p>Sokka focuses back on the princess as she gives him a cock grin, only fueling his anger more.</p>
<p>‘This is all her fault. It has to be.’</p>
<p>Sokka calls up on all of his inner flames, the heat that had been building up in the area beginning to flow around him, his anger focusing in on the princess.</p>
<p>As soon as Azula sends the next attack to him, her blue flames twisting like a whip, he lets all the energy ignite in a violent blaze.</p>
<p>He rushes forward as the flames shoot him over the ground, slipping under her first strike, blocking the second with a blast of his own, and when she shoots the third he lets his own flames drop, concentrating on her flame entirely.</p>
<p>It still feels as cold and disgusting as before, but now he is starting to get used to it. </p>
<p>Just before the blaze manages to hit him, he catches it in his hands, the cold blue shifting to a glowing red before he sends it back, his own power amplifying the already enormous heat of Azula’s flame.</p>
<p>She tries to create a shield to block it, but the flame is too strong to be stopped, essentially having the strength of both of the benders combined.</p>
<p>She is thrown into the wall, letting out a pained grown as she drops to the floor, Sokka stomping his foot down on her hand with a glistering flame in his palm, holding it to her throat.</p>
<p>“What did you do to Zuko!?” The question leaves him as a desperate shout, his exhausted breath bleeding into his voice.</p>
<p>She gives him a look of pure anger and disgust, but the expression shifts immediately, Azula’s usual, confident look returning to her face.</p>
<p>“Nothing. I wouldn't have had the time to do anything. This is all his decision. Even a savage like you should realize that.” How relaxed she sounds only helpt to anger Sokka more.</p>
<p>“You are lying! Zuko would never side with a monster like you! I know he won’t!” ‘He won't, right? Zuko would never do that, right?’</p>
<p>“Oh. Then it's just my imagination that he is fighting the avatar?” She sounds so smug, so sure of herself as she says it. </p>
<p>A cruel grin stretched over her face. “Face it, he was never one your side and never will be. You were just getting his attention because he wanted to get close to the avatar. You were nothing more than a tool. Your whole existence is an insult to firebending. My brother was just waiting for the right moment to take you out.”</p>
<p>Sokka flinches at the words, Azula using the moment of weakness to ignite a flame in her palm, sending a searing blast at Sokka.</p>
<p>Sokka just manages to create a small shield of flames, but he still feels how her blue blaze stings into his skin.</p>
<p>“Did you really think Zuko would be interested in someone like you? What reason would he have? He is the prince of the Fire Nation! You see how he threw you away at the first opportunity!”</p>
<p>Sokka feels his inner flame’s disarray grow more and more with every word. He wants to believe they are lies, but how can he when Zuko is trying to kill Aang right now?</p>
<p>His emotions continue to grow, flooding his senses, fueling his flame more and more as his breathing quickens, heat flowing out of his body in waves.</p>
<p>The teen’s body ignites in a smoldering hot balze, the red glow of his flames illuminating the area as whips around the area, the flaming tendril rushing at Azula with a thrust of Sokka’s fist.</p>
<p>His flames crash into the wall without any restraint, leaving glowing craters in the rock when Sokka pulls them out again, going in for the next attack.</p>
<p>The fire swipes over the floor, leaving behind smoldering trails on the ground, sending burning sparks around the area.</p>
<p>Azula is forced into continuous dodging with the restless onslaught, no moment for her to charge up her flame or take on a stable stance, only just evading them by slim margin, the flames still leaving small burns on her skin as they pass by her, the heat strong enough to pass through the air.</p>
<p>In his blind rage he doesn't notice the trembling in the earth beneath him, too slow to react to the erupting boulder that follows.</p>
<p>It crashes into his chest with a painful impact, punching the air out of him as he is painfully flung into the wall, collapsing onto the hard ground.</p>
<p>He attempts to fight himself up, trying to take a deep breath to fuel his flame, but he struggles to take in the air, only coming out as weak gasps. </p>
<p>Sokka bits through the pain and raises his eyes to the cave before him, the walls now lined with Dai Lee agents, jumping down on the battlefield to surround Aang and Sokka.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy manages to ignite a small flame in his palm, but he doubts it would even be strong enough to hurt the earthbenders when they attack. </p>
<p>His vision is wavering from the lacking air, but slowly he manages to take in deeper breath. Not that it helps the pain shooting through his body. He just doesn't know why he wasn't attacked yet.</p>
<p>That question is answered instantly as he feels Aang’s aura flood the room, maybe even stronger than the last time he felt the airbender go into the avatar state.</p>
<p>A shockwave goes through the room as it lights up in a harsh light, all eyes turning to where Sokka knows Aang is, feeling the boy release his ultimate power.</p>
<p>The water tribe boy doesn't feel the lighting charge up before it hits. </p>
<p>The brutal shock of energy causes the spirit energy in the room to shatter like broken glass, sending another shock of pain through Sokka’s body.</p>
<p>“AANG!” The flame in Sokka’s body ignites instantly, sending him flying to the falling boy and at incredible speed as it takes in the shreds of spirit energy in the area, the adrenaline making him push through exhaustion and pain.</p>
<p>He rams through the enemies to catch the boy just before he can hit the ground, protective shielding him with his own body, barely even feeling the boy’s weight with the numbness spreading through his limbs.</p>
<p>He sees how the culprits walk up in front of the two, the princess wearing a cruel grin.</p>
<p>“You monsters! How could you!?” He shouts holding the motionless boy to his body, panic rising up in sokka as he feels the energy leave the small airbender.</p>
<p>He barely realizes when Iroh suddenly drops down before him, raising a dense wall of flames to block off Azula’s troops.</p>
<p>“Run! I will hold them off as long as I can!” His voice sounds as angry as the time Zhao killed Yue, immediately sending Sokka into motion.</p>
<p>He frantically looks around for a way out, gathering all his remaining energy in an attempt to even stand up when he hears a small panicky chirping in his mind catches his attention.</p>
<p>‘Flamey? Wha-’ Before he and  continue a strong feeling appears in his mind, leading his attention to a waterfall at the side of the cave, when he suddenly feels the spirit energy around him begin to move.</p>
<p>With a push of Flamey’s aura the unused energy left behind by Aang begins to flow to Sokka, sinking into his body from all sides.</p>
<p>A sharp, piercing pain shoots through his body as soon as it does, so strong it nearly makes him drop the unmoving avatar in his arms, immediately receiving a worried chirping from his spirit guide.</p>
<p>Sokka pushes through the pain as he feels his body fuel with energy, even if he might have preferred continuing not to feel the pain in his body.</p>
<p>Despite the pain he manages to stand up, sending Iroh one more thankful nod as he turns to the waterfall, jets of flames igniting on his legs to raise the two boys into the air.</p>
<p>The remains of the avatar’s energy scald as they flow through Sokka’s body, biting into his every vein as the enormous force is pressed through them, fueling Sokka’s flames into a storm of white fire.</p>
<p>He flies straight into the small opening beside the waterfall, following along it as the flames carry him to the surface.</p>
<p>As soon as he feels the moon’s gentle on his skin he lets out a desperate cry, his hoarse voice calling through the area. “Katara! Aang is hurt! We need you!” </p>
<p>He drops to the ground as his lung contracts from the strain of his voice, still not recovered from the enemies attack, forcing him down to his knees.</p>
<p>He doesn't notice the others arrive, only realizing their presence after he feels Toph set the two boys into Appa’s saddle with her earthbending.</p>
<p>“Katara. Please make sure he gets through his.” he tells his sister, still clutching the avatar’s body, turning him so the wound from the lightning strike is revealed.</p>
<p>He hears the others suck in a breath of shock, Katara immediately lowering herself to Aang’s side as Appa rises into the sky.</p>
<p>“The spirit water.” Sokka tells her. </p>
<p>She doesn't question it, instantly taking out the necklace and bending the water to the wound.</p>
<p>The moments of silence are harrowing, and Sokka has never felt so helpless before, holding the unmoving body of the boy has started to see as his family, the small, innocent boy he swore himself to protect.</p>
<p>‘This is all my fault. If I had told the other’s about Zuko, we could have won against Azula before her reinforcements arrived. If I just didn't fall for his tricks I could have prevented it all. Why did I even think Zuko would-’</p>
<p>A small spark of energy in the airbender’s body rips him out of his thoughts, the boy letting out a pained breath. </p>
<p>Aang opens his eyes for a short moment before closing them again, but Sokka can feel the energy flow through the boy’s body again, sensing how the heartbeat stabilizes, even if it is still weak.</p>
<p>Sokka clutches the small body in his arms, letting his inner heart grow to keep the airbender warm in the harsh winds of the night, trying to give him all the comfort Sokka can as he drifts off into an exhausted sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what do you think? Did I write this okay? I really want my boys to be together, but this is such a good opportunity for angst and drama! I’m sorry! (I’m not actually sorry. I enjoy this far more than I really should.)</p>
<p>I tried to write Azula in a way that would bring her subtle psychological manipulation into focus. I hope I didn't go overboard with that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. The Awakening Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Sokka awakes, still healing from his injuries, the next struggles already await him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka wakes up to the gentle rays of a warm flame and the distant chattering of people, the muffled sounds of a busy day slowly leading him to consciousness.</p>
<p>He tries to sit up when a sharp pain shoots through his body, forcing out a pained groan.</p>
<p>“Sokka! You are awake!” His sister’s voice comes from his side, relief clear as he feels her move to his side. “How do you feel?”</p>
<p>“It feels like Appa trampled around on me.” He tells her to manage to open his eyes a bit. The small lantern beside his bed seems to illuminate some kind of tent, revealing the tired look on his sister’s face..</p>
<p>“Then you feel better then expected. It is actually surprising you woke up so fast after that.” She tells him with a solemn expression.</p>
<p>“What hap- Aang! Is he okay? Please say he is okay!” He tells her sitting up despite the pain in his body.</p>
<p>“Yes! He is okay! But please lie down again! You are going to open the wounds again!” She instructs him, gently pushing him down again as he takes a bowl of water and placing it on the bedding.</p>
<p>“I- Aang is still unconscious, but he seems stable, so he will be okay for now.” She tells him, her head shifting over to the bed beside Sokka’s.</p>
<p>There the airbender lies, motionless, his face unnaturally pale, taking in weak irregular breath as he lies covered in the furs of the bedding.</p>
<p>“How long was I out?” </p>
<p>“A little bit over a day. Your injuries were heavy. Are heavy. Your body is pretty much covered in burns and you had two broken ribs. I did what I could with my bending, but it will need more time to heal naturally. I was just about to change the bandages so I could try to speed up the recovery with some salve that my bending can’t help with.”</p>
<p>Sokka looks down his body to find the bandages she told him about, covering nearly every part of his visible skin.</p>
<p>Katara gives him a concerned look. “What even happened down there?” </p>
<p>The question immediately brings the flash of lighting back into his mind. Pictures of Aang, Azula and Zuko causing him to tense up.</p>
<p>“You don't have to talk about it now.” Katara tells him in a kind voice, noticing his distress. She carefully moves to undo the bandages covering his arm, taking care to never put pressure on his wounds.</p>
<p>Sokka flinches as she moves to the parts directly touching his wounds, even with the salve spread all over the skin the bandages still stick to the oozing burns.</p>
<p>The pale red splotches covering his arms stand out against his dark skin, the skin bristling and peeling off in the center. </p>
<p>He looks down on it with a worried expression. It looks worse than he expected. Sokka doesn't think he has ever seen so severe burns on a firebender. Except Zuko, of course. The scar is not something that one can forget.</p>
<p>He shakes his head to clear his head. The water tribe boy doesn't want to think about the prince. Not right now.</p>
<p>“So where are we?” He tries to distract himself. It doesn't look like the tent is Earth Nation style. Now that he actually takes in the details, it looks really familiar. Like really, really familiar.</p>
<p>“Wait, are we- ” He doesn't get to finish as the fur covering the entrance is pushed aside, letting the bright light of the sun fall in, revealing his very worried looking dad.</p>
<p>“Sokka!” The man’s face lights up with relief when he spots his son, rushing to his side, but stopping himself before he can catch the boy in a hug, remembering the injuries.</p>
<p>“Are you okay? How do you feel?” Hakoda asks quickly, his hands awkwardly hovering in the air as if he unsure where to put them.</p>
<p>“I’m- Uhm. I’m okay.” Sokka manages to get out. He REALLY isn't prepared to talk to his dad right now. </p>
<p>“So, what is going on right now?” Sokka tries in an attempt to get the topic away from himself. Seeing the grim expression his family takes on he might regret asking the question.</p>
<p>“The Earth Kingdom has fallen. Azula made the Dai Lee take down the walls, and the Fire Nation Soldiers stormed the city. The last big civilization has fallen.”</p>
<p>“The Earth King split off from our group yesterday, shortly after we arrived.” Katara continues. “He said he wanted to see the kingdom he has been ruling all these years on his own, to be a better king if he ever has the chance to return.”</p>
<p>Sokka takes in a deep breath. ‘That’s … a lot.’ He can feel his pulse in his ears. ‘What are we supposed to do now? We can't go through with the invasion, and Sozin’s Comet is getting closer and closer.’</p>
<p>He turns to his father. “What is the plan for now?” he asks, desperately hoping to hear some kind of solution for this disaster.</p>
<p>‘For the disaster I caused. Spirits. This is all my fault! Why did I even believe Zuko!? Why did I fall for the tricks of someone like him?!’ </p>
<p>He knows why, an image of Zuko’s warm and beautiful smile flashing in his mind. ‘So that was all an act.’</p>
<p>His father just shakes his head. “For now we will wake till Aang wakes up. Right now we haven't made up our minds.”</p>
<p>“Dad, I need to tend to Sokka’s wounds now. Can you leave us alone?” Katara tells Hakoda, with a forcefulness that surprises Sokka, not leaving him any space to refuse.</p>
<p>Their father actually doesn't seem surprised by it, just giving her a small nod before walking out of the tent.</p>
<p>The waterbender’s eyes shift over to her brother again. “You need to tell him.”</p>
<p>She doesn't need to elaborate on that. Sokka knows what she means. He also understands the logical reasoning behind that thought, but this isn't really a situation where logic would be enough to solve it.</p>
<p>“And what if he reacts badly? What would I be able to do in my current situation?” He asks her, his voice rising against his will, but not loud enough to reach outside the tent.</p>
<p>“Dad would never-” She starts, but Sokka interrupts her.</p>
<p>“You saw the new scar on his arm. I know you did. A burn from a firebender.” He tells her in a sad voice. “Katara. They have been fighting in this war for years. Do you think they will just overlook a firebender in their own ranks?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure dad would understand.” She ensues him again, but Sokka ignores her. She would never understand him in something like this. </p>
<p>‘And even if dad would understand, the other warriors wouldn't. Who knows how many of them have been killed by friebenders till now.’</p>
<p>They continue to sit in silence after that, the only sound being the quiet splashing as Katara moves the water over Sokka’s body, tending to the burns.</p>
<p>Every touch stings, but none is as bad as the pain radiating from his heart. He just can't keep Zuko’s face out of his mind.</p>
<p>The prince looked so happy, genuinely happy that Sokka would have never believed it to be a lie. But now he regrets every second of it. Regrets every single false smile he fell for.</p>
<p>His eyes shift over to Aang again. The boy laying unmoving, pale and wounded, a look so wrong for the young airbender, making guilt rise up in Sokka’s body.</p>
<p>‘This will never happen again. I promise Aang. I will protect you, no matter what.’</p>
<p>__________________</p>
<p>It takes two more days of Aang showing no signs of Aang till Sokka isn't able to hold back his worry anymore.</p>
<p>The firebender has finally been allowed to move again, but now he is spending most of that time watching Aang anyway. Waiting for him to wake up.</p>
<p>The rustling of the fur covering the entrance to the tent catches his attention, making him turn around to spot his sister, holding a bowl of different medicinal herbs, giving her brother a worried look.</p>
<p>“Sokka. You shouldn’t judge yourself like this. You know Aang wouldn't want that.”</p>
<p>His eyes don't leave the boy in front of him. “This is my fault, Katara. I should have been there to protect him.”</p>
<p>She lays a comforting hand on his shoulder, turning him around so she can embrace him in a gentle hug. ”No. It's not your fault. You couldn't have prevented it. Not a single person against the entire Dai Lee and the Fire Nation heirs.”</p>
<p>‘But I could have prevented at least one of them from appearing.’ Not that he is going to tell this to his sister. He probably won't tell anyone about that.</p>
<p>The only other people knowing this are the royal siblings and Iroh. The old firebender won't tell, and when they take down the Fire Nation, that will take care of the other two knowing on its own.</p>
<p>He has to make sure that Aang is safe anyway, and that won't be the case as long as the royal family of the Fire Nation exists.</p>
<p>The airbender might believe that peace is always an option, but Sokka is of no such illusion. Especially not after what happened.</p>
<p>“Sokka. You should go outside to get some sun. It will help you recover. I will take care of Aang.” Katara ensures him.</p>
<p>He really doesn't want to leave the boy, but he trusts his sister, and he won't be able to protect Aang if he doesn't heal fast, so he listens to his sister's advice.</p>
<p>The steps out of the tent let pain shoot up his skin, the burns getting irritated by the movement. ‘But not as bad as Aang is having it. You shouldn't complain about it.’</p>
<p>Light shines in his face as soon as he shoves the pelt covering the entrance aside, the sound of the working warriors flowing to his ears.</p>
<p>He immediately catches the camp's attention, the eyes focusing in on his evident worry. ‘I don't deserve any of that. Not like they would worry about me anyway if the knew.’</p>
<p>The first person that actually approaches him is Bato, welcoming him with a gentle, if sad smile. “Sokka! Katara already let you walk around?”</p>
<p>It is pretty fast, actually. Sokka doesn't know if it's because of Katara’s healing capabilities or something else, but even his worst burns are healing at an incredible speed, not even leaving behind visible scars.</p>
<p>“Yeah. She said I should try to get some fresh air.” Sokka lies, but what difference makes one more lie?</p>
<p>Bato seems to accept that with a small nod, and no other warriors actually talk to him when he makes his way out of the small tent camp, down the beach till he cant hear anything except the waves crashing against the shore.</p>
<p>Katara was right with the sun being good for him, already feeling how the gentle rays begin to fuel his inner flame.</p>
<p>He doesn't know how long he sits there, taking in the energy to recover his weakened inner flame. It suffered greatly from the stress, not made to use the energy released when Aang enters the avatar state.</p>
<p>He had managed to tell his sister what happened down in the caves under the palace, he doesn't know if she told their father. Sokka hasn't exactly been talking to the man. Quite the opposite, in fact.</p>
<p>But he knows he won't be able to do that much longer without appearing suspicious.</p>
<p>‘Better now then when I’m not prepared.’ He stands up from the warm rocks under him and makes his way back to the other water tribe men, walking to the tent that he knows belongs to his father.</p>
<p>As soon as he pushes aside the cover of the tent he hears the heated discussions of the men. </p>
<p>“We can't stay here any longer! The Fire Nation is already spreading out over the Earth Kingdom, it won't take much longer till they reach this place. We have to get away now!”</p>
<p>“But where are we supposed to go? The Fire Nation has their patrols all around the area, and it's not like we have a safe haven anyway. You know how the Fire Nation tends to focus on the coasts first.”</p>
<p>“But we can just sit around now! We have to do something!”</p>
<p>None of them seem to notice Sokka, but he already doesn't want to be dragged into this discussion anyway. He knows that if things sound like this they never go well.</p>
<p>‘I wish this were the generals of Ba Sing Se. They at least seemed to have an idea what to do. And they didn't shout.’ And it's not like they will listen to him anyway. They had made that clear years ago.</p>
<p>He is about to slip out again to avoid getting dragged into this when Hakoda spots him, sending his son a tired but happy smile.</p>
<p>“Sokka! Are you already getting better? Thank the spirits, looks like the wounds weren't that bad.” </p>
<p>But Sokka knows they were bad. Katara told him that. ‘But maybe he was right with the spirit thing. I have to ask Flamey later.’</p>
<p>“Ah, sorry for interrupting dad. I can get back later.” He tries to get away, but his father calls out to him.</p>
<p>“We could actually need another idea right now. Do you think you have something to contribute?” Hakoda doesn't sound malicious in his suggestion, but Sokka’s tiredness doesn't exactly make him happy about this right now.</p>
<p>Sokka suppresses the sigh as he walks over to the other, putting on a fake smile as he sits down with the other’s. “I could try to help. What's the problem?”</p>
<p>‘This is going to be a long day, isn't it.’</p>
<p>_________________</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's two days later that the strategists actually announce their further actions. Aang still hasn't woken up yet, only making the worry in Sokka grow even more.</p>
<p>And the faces the warriors give Toph and Katara for taking part in the war meeting only helps to further irritate Sokka.</p>
<p>‘Sexist bastards. If it wasn't for old idiots holding onto these useless traditions our tribe could be in much better condition.’ The situation only helps to bring back memories of Yue that he is definitely not able to endure in addition to everything else right now.</p>
<p>The warriors gather in front of Hakoda’s tent as the man begins to explain. “With the Fire Nation getting closer to this place we can't risk continuing to stay here, but the patrols in the area would make a blind attempt to search for a safe spot far too risky. With our current look at least.”</p>
<p>“One of our scouts spotted a Fire Nation ship in the area. We will take control of it and make our way through the barricade in disguise to avoid the enemies' search parties. After that we can continue with our plans for the invasion.”</p>
<p>The last part surprised Sokka. He didn't know the plans for the invasion were still in play, especially considering Aang’s current condition.</p>
<p>A look to the side tells them that Katara and Toph didn't know either. </p>
<p>‘And they didn't even say that this was mostly my idea. At least Toph and Katara know that this was my suggestion.’ That thought helps to calm him down quite a bit. After all these are the same old geezers that didn't allow women to learn how to fight.</p>
<p>The only thing that really angers Sokka is the fact that their father doesn't do anything against it, despite being the chief.</p>
<p>Once the meeting is over the three kids confront Hakoda about the invasion.</p>
<p>“So the invasion is still on?” Katara almost sounds accusing, not that Sokka doesn't understand her. </p>
<p>Hakods gives them a determined nod. “Even without the Earth Kingdom this is still the best chance for an attack, especially since they won't expect any large scale attacks now.”</p>
<p>He is right with that, of course, but Sokka would have really preferred to be informed about that. But now their chances have fallen even more than before. Katara seems to have a similar opinion.</p>
<p>“And you didn't tell us why? We could have tried to help with the planning. Sokka was the one who directly planned this with the Earth Kingdom generals!”</p>
<p>“I didn't want to push all of this onto you kids. You shouldn't be forced into this.” Hakoda tells them gently.</p>
<p>That freezes Sokka in his tracks. After all his group has gone through, this is what they get? Writing them off as children after all that happened to them, even back at the south pole?</p>
<p>Toph steps up to their father before Sokka can speak out his emotions, and the siblings haven't seen her this pissed in a while.</p>
<p>“Now listen here. I know what these two went through even before they started their journey. They have been through more shit then any of the warriors here and probably could take each of them in a fight. They have been fighting in this war just like everyone else, so fucking treat them like it!”</p>
<p>She shouts before turning around and walking away, probably holding back even more things she wanted to say, the sibling following right after she leaves their father behind with his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Thanks Toph.” Katara tells the earthbender, getting a small huff in response, accompanied by a comforting shove of her shoulder.</p>
<p>‘Maybe that is how she felt with her parents.’ And that was another infuriating topic.</p>
<p>Toph told them that the letter from her mother was fake, and instead a trap from her pursuers to take her back home. She admitted that her parents didn't allow her to join the group, that she ran away, but none of the siblings could be angry with her.</p>
<p>Not for running away from parents that would put money on their daughter’s head to force her back home.</p>
<p>That was one of the few days that Toph actually allowed the sibling to hug them without getting a punch in return.</p>
<p>“I really need to get a break from the place.” Sokka tells the others with a tired sigh, turning around to walk to the forest.</p>
<p>“You up for a spar?” Toph asks him, sending a small punch to his shoulder, immediately getting a nod in return. He really needs to blow off some steam.</p>
<p>“But please don't overdo it!” Katara tells them in her doctor's voice. “Your wounds have healed surprisingly fast, but that doesn't mean you are at full health again.”</p>
<p>She gets anod from her brother. “Don't worry. It's not like I can show off with theses guys in the are.” He grumbled as he gestures to the warriors around them.</p>
<p>Katara returns to Aang while Sokka and Toph create some distance between them and the tent camp.</p>
<p>He actually found out what the reason for his fast healing burns was Flamey. The spirit said something about a fire spirit not leaving behind burns, but it's still hard for Sokka to properly understand what his small friend is trying to tell him when he can't go into meditation.</p>
<p>‘I really have to find a way to meditate without setting everything around me on fire. I just really wish the cuts would heal as easily as the burns.’</p>
<p>Because everything except the burns is still very not healed. At least Katara managed to patch up his ribs well enough. That feels like the most important thing.</p>
<p>It takes a while till the two benders have put enough distance between themselves and the camp, and Sokka can't wait to let his flames run wild after the exhausting days of hiding them.</p>
<p>Toph lets a wall grow from the ground to stop any potential onlookers, or maybe it's to stop Sokka’s fire from spreading.</p>
<p>‘There are many trees around after all.’</p>
<p>The both go into the stance as Sokka flares his chi, the energy rushing through his veins, a flame rising from his palm as he takes the first attack, the powerful blaze rushing at Toph while she creates a wall to protect herself.</p>
<p>The rock withstands the blast, even if cracks form in the material, falling to the ground before they shoot at Sokka with a powerful stomp.</p>
<p>The firebender ignites his legs in a blazing flame, rushing to the side to evade the projectiles, landing on the wall marking the battleground to give himself one more push, flying at Toph with a blast charging up in his palm.</p>
<p>She counters the attacker with a bolder shot at him from the ground, fire crashing against earth in a powerful explosion, throwing both of the combatants back.</p>
<p>Only now as Sokka stands up from the ground he realizes the smile that has been spreading over his face.</p>
<p>“Come one! Don't just lie there! We just started!” Toph shouts to him from the other side of the arena, the earth already gathering around here.</p>
<p>That is when he realizes how she suggested this to help him get a small distraction. And well, it's working perfectly.</p>
<p>“Don’t think you have won yet!” He answers, reigniting his flames as the warm flows through his veins.</p>
<p>Once more, he can't believe how lucky he got to have a friend like her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, you might realize that I write Hakoda a bit irresponsible in his interactions with Sokka, but I feels like that is kind of how he interacts with his children, leaving them behind in their village soon after their mother died, pushing the responsibility of protecting the village to Sokka when he was still a child and how he, in canon, interacts with Sokka when he first sees him again after years. He just gives off that feeling, so I wouldn't put it over him to not realize his children's distress, especially since something similar happened with Katara in canon.<br/>Much of the interactions come from the contrast between Hakoda leaving Sokka behind because he was too young and giving him the responsibility over the village at the same time. Plus, this Sokka does not idolize his father as much because of the emotional distance.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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